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EVERYCHILB’S SERIES 


OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 


THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

NEW YORK • BOSTON • CHICAGO • DALLAS 
ATLANTA • SAN FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN & CO., Limited 

LONDON • BOMBAY • CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd. 

TORONTO 





“ Oh, do work fast, Mr. Mouse.” 


EVERYCHILD’S SERIES 


I/' 


OLD STORIES 

FOR YOUNG READERS 


BY 

LAURA A. l^ARGF. 

AUTHOR OF “ A VISIT TO THE FARM ” 


ILLUSTRATIONS BY 

RACHEL DIXON and MARJORIE HARTWELL 


/ 


> > 

’ > ' 


Neto gork 

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 
1916 

All rights reserved 



Copyright, 1916 , 

By the MACMILLAN COMPANY. 



Set up and electrotyped. Published July, 1916. 


<V 


f" f 


JUL 27 1916’" 


Norhjooli ^re0B 

J. S. Cushing Co. — Berwick & Smith Co. 
Norwood, Mass., U.8.A. 


©CI.A4338C5 ^ 


Dear Children : 

You will like to read these old sto- 
ries. Some of them you have read 
in other books. They will seem like 
old friends when you read them here. 
Look on the page of titles and see 
what old friend stories are here. 

Many of these stories you can play. 
I wonder if any of you can plan how 
to play them without the teacher’s 
help? You have to think who are 
in the play, what things they need, 
and what they must do. Such fun 
as this will be ! 

Can you pretend that you are a 
drowning ant ? Can you call, “Help ! 


vi OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

Help ! ” so that some one will hear 
you and save you? Can you start 
a real race by saying, “One, two, 
three. Go ! ” Can you show how 
Whitey smacked his lips when he 
thought of eating? And how the 
wind blew the flour away, ‘ ‘ Whew ! 
Whew ! ” If you can, we shall like 
to hear you read. 

Grown-ups think about what they 
read. So do some children. Here 
are some questions about these sto- 
ries. Perhaps you can answer them 
when you have read the stories. If 
you answer them well, we shall 
know that you can think about what 
you read. Maybe you can think of 
questions to ask the other children. 


OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS vii 

What did the blue jay do which was 
foolish ? 

Was the fox who lost his tail fool- 
ish or wise ? 

Were the other foxes foolish or 
wise ? 

Did the pot do right when it took 
the things ? 

What was the first mistake which 
the bad little girl made ? 

Which is better, to be honest or to 
have gold and silver ? 

Hoping you will enjoy every story 
in the book, 

Your grown-up friend. 


THE EDITOR. 


The author is indebted to Messrs. G. P. Put- 
nam^s Sons of New York and London for per- 
mission to rewrite the stories of The Johnny 
CakCy The Kid Who Would Not Goy The Wonderful 
Poty and The Lad Who Went to the North Pole. 


viii 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

The Lion and the Mouse . . . . 1 

The Dove and the Ant .... 5 

The Johnny Cake 7 

The Lark and her Little Ones . . 13 

The Wonderful Pot 15 

The Foolish Bluejay . . . , .24 

The Donkey and his Friends Seek their 

Fortune 27 

The Fox Who Lost his Tail ... 38 

The Kid Who Would Not Go . . „ 40 

The Donkey and the Horse ... 45 

The Fairy Shoes 47 

Belling the Cat 53 

The Hare and the Tortoise ... 55 

The Three Pigs 58 

The Wind and the Sun .... 69 

ix 


X 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

The Lad Who Went to the North Wind 72 

The Unhappy Pine Tree .... 80 

The Two Sisters 86 

The Old Lion 96 

The Woodman and his Ax ... 98 

% 

The Greedy Master 103 

The Brave Tin Soldier .... 114 

The Cat, the Weasel, and the Rabbit . 128 

The Crow and the Pitcher . . . 131 

Tom Thumb 134 

The Maids Who Did Not Like to Rise 

Early 155 

The Wolf and the Crane . . .158 

Silver Locks and the Three Bears . 160 
The Shoemaker and the Elves . . 169 

The Wolf and the Dog .... 180 

Little Red Riding Hood . . . . 183 

The Cat and her Housekeeper . . 192 

The Three Wishes 205 

Drill Words 220 


OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 



THE LION AND THE MOUSE 

ION. — Oh, see the little 
mouse ! He is hurt and 
cannot run. I wish that 
he were bigger, but I will eat him, 
small as he is. 

Mouse. — Oh, please, Mr. Lion, 
do not eat me ! I am so very small, 
I should hardly make you a mouth- 
ful. Do let me go, and I will help 
you sometime. 

Lion. —Well then, go, as soon as 
you are able. But you are very 
small. You will never be able to 

B 1 



2 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

help me. You are only a wee little 
mouse. 

{A few days later) 

Lion. — Oh, oh, oh ! They have 
tied me fast. They will soon be 
back to take me away. They will 
put me in a cage. I shall never 
get out again. Oh, oh, oh, what 
shall I do ? What shall I do ? 

Mouse. — I could hear you roaring 
far away, Mr. Lion. I see why you 
roar. They have tied you with ropes. 
You would like to be free. 

Lion. — Oh, yes, Mr. Mouse. They 
will put me in a cage. I shall never 
see my friends again. 


{The lion roars and roars) 


THE LION AND THE MOUSE 3 

Mouse. — I may be able to help 
you. 

Lion. — You ! A little mouse ! What 
can you do? 

Mouse. — Wait and see, Mr. Lion. 
I may be able to gnaw the ropes. 

{Mr. Mouse climbs up on the ropes and 
starts to gnaw them) 

Lion. — Oh, do work fast, Mr. 
Mouse. I hear the dogs barking. 
They are coming to get me ! 

{Mr. Mouse gnaws and gnaws as fast as 
he can. At last the ropes are gnawed in 
two) 

Mouse. — Now run fast, Mr. Lion. 
The dogs are coming down the hill ! 
Lion. — Oh, thank you. You are 


4 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 


just a wee little mouse, but I shall 
never forget you. 

{Mr. Lion runs quickly away) 



THE DOVE AND THE ANT 

■ N ant fell into the water 

“ Help, help ! ” he called. 
“I have fallen into the water. I 
shall drown. Help! Help!” 

A dove heard the ant’s call. He 
threw a leaf into the water. 

“Here, little ant,” he said, “get 
up on the leaf, and ride to the 
land.” 

The ant got up on the leaf. He 
rode to land, and was’ safe. 

“Thank you, Mr. Dove,” he said. 
“Some day I may help you.” 


6 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

Not long after, the ant saw a 
man walking along. The man had 
a big gun. He was 'looking up into 
a tree. On the tree sat the dove. 
The dove did not see the man with 
the gun. 

“Ah, what a fine bird,” said the 
man. “I will shoot him.” 

The ant heard the man. He ran 
up and bit him in the heel. 

“Oh, my heel! my heel!” said 
the man. 

He jumped up and down. The 
gun fell to the ground. The dove 
heard the noise and flew away. 
The ant was glad to save the life 
of his friend. 


THE JOHNNY CAKE 


MAN, a woman and a 
little boy lived together. 
One day the woman made 
a fine little Johnny Cake. She put 
it into the oven to bake. Then she 
went into the field to work. The 
man went with her. 

The boy stayed at home. Before 
long he smelled the Johnny Cake 
baking in the oven. He opened the 
oven door and saw the Johnny 
Cake, but thought that it was not 
done. 

“I will go outside,” he said. 



8 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“When the cake is done, I will 
eat it,” 

The little boy went away. He 
forgot to close the oven door. 

“Ah, ha,” said the Johnny Cake. 
“The door open! Just what I 
want. Now I will run away.” 

He jumped out of the oven. Out 
of the house he ran. The little boy 
saw him. 

“Come back, you Johnny Cake,” 
said the boy. “Come back, I say.” 

And he ran after Johnny Cake, 
but could not catch him. 

Johnny Cake ran on, and soon 
came to the woman and man at 
work in the field. 

“Oh, ho!” they called. “The 


THE JOHNNY CAKE 


9 



Johnny Cake ! Come back ! Come 
back ! ” 

Then they too ran after him as 
fast as they could. But they could 
not catch him. 



10 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

Johnny Cake came to a farmer. 
“Oh, ho,” called the farmer. 
“Stop, I want to eat you.” 

He ran after Johnny Cake, who 
called out : 

“I have outran a boy, a woman, 
and a little old man. 

And I can outran you, too, I can.” 

The farmer could not catch 
Johnny Cake. 

A big wolf saw Johnny Cake. 
“Oh, just what I want for dinner,” 
he called. 

He ran as fast as he could, but 
Johnny Cake ran faster. As he ran 
he called out: 

“I have outran a boy, a woman, a farmer, 
and a little old man. 

You, too, I can outran, I can.” 


THE JOHNNY CAKE 11 

Soon Johnny Cake saw a fox. The 
fox did not run after Johnny Cake. 
He said, ‘ ‘ Where are you going ? ” 
“I am going to see the world,” 
said Johnny Cake, 

“For I have outrun a boy, a wolf, a 
farmer, a woman, a man. 

And I can outrun you, I can.” 

“What did you say?” said the 
fox. “I cannot hear very well.” 
Then Johnny Cake said again : 

“I am going to see the world. 

For I have outrun a boy, a wolf, a woman, 
A farmer, a man. 

And I can outrun you, I can.” 

“I cannot hear well at all, to-day,” 
said the fox. “Will you come a 
little nearer?” 


12 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

Johnny Cake went up close to 
the fox and called into his ear: 

“I am going to see the world, 

For I have outrun a boy, a wolf, a woman, 
A farmer, a man. 

And I can outrun you, I can.” 

“Don’t be too sure,” said Mr. 
Fox, as OPEN went his mouth and 
IN went Johnny Cake. 



THE LARK AND HER LITTLE ONES 

{Evening) 

ITTLE ONES. - 0 mother ! 
Mr. Jones was out in the 
field to-day. He said the 
grain must be cut. He is going to 
get his friends to cut it. We will 
have to go. 

Mother. — No, little ones. We 
can stay here a little longer. 
The grain will not be cut to-morrow. 

{Next night) 

Little Ones. — 0 mother ! We 
must go away now ! Farmer Jones 

13 




14 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

was in the field again to-day. He 
is going to get his uncles and cousins 
to cut the grain for him. 

Mother. — Do not fear, little ones. 
We need not go yet. The grain will 
not be cut to-morrow. 

{Next day) 

Little Ones. — 0 mother! We will 
have to go ! Farmer Jones was in 
the field again to-day. He said he 
was going to cut the grain himself. 
He is coming to-morrow. 

Mother. —Now we must leave, 
little ones. If Farmer Jones is go- 
ing to cut the grain himself, it will 
be done. Come, let us go at once. 


THE WONDERFUL POT 


WOMAN and her son 
were very poor. A rich 
man had taken their 
money. All they had was a cow 
which had grown very old. 

“She is of no use to us,” said the 
woman. “Take her, my boy, and 
sell her.” 

The boy took the cow by a rope. 
As he walked along he met a man. 
The man had a little pot with three 
legs. 

‘ ‘ Will you buy my cow ? ” asked 
the boy. “Yes,” said the man. 
“I will give you the pot for it.” 

15 



16 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 



His mother felt very sad when she saw the pot. 


THE WONDERFUL POT 17 

The boy was going to say “No,” 
when he heard a little voice. 

It said, “I am a fairy pot. 
Take me, little boy. I will help 
you.” 

Because of the voice, the little 
boy gave the man the cow and took 
the pot. 

His mother felt very sad when she 
saw the pot. “My boy, what have 
you done?” she asked. “This pot 
will do us no good. We have noth- 
ing to put into it.” 

Then she heard the little voice 
say, “Do not feel sad. I am a 
fairy pot. I will help you. Wash 
me, and you will see.” 

The woman washed the pot. 


18 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“Now, what shall I put into 
you ? ” she asked. 

“Nothing,” said the pot. “See 
me. I skip, I skip.” 

‘ ‘ Where do you skip ? ” asked the 
woman. 

“To the rich man’s house,” said 
the pot. And away he skipped. 

The rich woman was getting 
dinner. She was putting good 
things to eat on the table. 
The little pot skipped into the 
room. 

“Fill me with your good things. 
I am big enough to hold them,” he 
said to the rich woman. 

The rich woman laughed. She 
thought it fun to hear a pot talk. 


THE WONDERFUL POT 19 

She filled the pot with good things to 
eat. 

“ Now put them on the table,” she 
said. 

But oh ! oh ! The pot ran out of 
the door. 

“I skip, I skip,” he called out. 

“Where do you skip?” called 
the rich woman. 

“ I skip home,” said the pot. And 
the pot was away before the woman 
could see where he had gone. Skip, 
skip, on he went until he came to the 
house of the poor woman. Then he 
stopped. He gave the poor woman 
all the good things to eat. She was 
very happy. 

The next day the pot set off again. 


20 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“ I skip, I skip,” he said. 

“Where do you skip?” asked the 
woman. 

“To the rich man’s house,” said 
the pot. And away he went, as fast 
as you please. 

The rich man was counting his 
money. He laid it on the table. 
The little pot skipped into the room. 

“Put some money into me,” he 
said. “See if you can fill me full 
of money.” 

The rich man laughed. “ I have 
more than that, ” he said. 

‘ ‘ Let me see if you have, ” said the 
pot. 

The rich man filled the pot with 
money. 


THE WONDERFUL POT 


21 



The little pot skipped into the room. 


“There, Little Pot,” he said. 
“Thank you,” answered the pot. 
‘I skip, I skip.” 



22 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“Oh, oh, where do you skip?” 
called the rich man. 

“I skip home,” said the pot. 

Then away he went, over the fields 
to the poor woman’s house. He 
gave the poor woman the money 
at once. 

“0 Little Pot,” she said. “Now 
we are no longer poor. This money 
will last a long time.” 

“Very well,” said the pot. “I 
skip, I skip.” 

“Where do you skip ? ” asked the 
woman. 

“To carry off the rich man,” 
said the pot, and away he went 
again. 

The rich man saw him at once. 


THE WONDERFUL POT 23 

“0 here you are. Just wait until 
I get you/’ he said. 

Then he caught the little pot. And 
what do you think happened? The 
rich man grew smaller and smaller. 
Soon he was no bigger than your 
hand. He fell into the pot and could 
not get out. He tried and tried, but 
it was of no use. 

“ I skip, I skip,” cried the little pot. 

Then away he skipped with the 
rich man, and no one ever saw 
them again. 



THE FOOLISH BLUEJAY 


BLUEJAY saw some pea- 
cocks walking along. 
“What fine birds,” he 
said. “I wish I were like them. 
Bluejays are not good enough for 
me. I am going to get some pea- 
cock feathers. I will put them in 
my tail and make myself a peacock. 
Then how proud I shall be ! I will 
not live with the bluejays any more. 
I will be a peacock and go to live 
with them. It will be great fun.” 

The bluejay took some peacock 
feathers and put them in his tail. 



THE FOOLISH BLUEJAY 25 

“Now I am better than the blue- 
jays,” he said. “I will not talk to 
them any more. I will live with 
the peacocks and be one of them.” 

Then he walked up and down so 
that all might see. But dear ! dear ! 
Poor Mr. Bluejay ! The peacocks 
only made fun of him. 

‘ ‘ You are no peacock, ” they cried. 
“How foolish you are.” And they 
made him go away. 

Mr. Bluejay went back to his own 
home, but his old friends laughed 
and laughed. 

“Ha! Ha! what a proud bird,” 
they said. 

They would have nothing to do 
with Mr. Bluejay. 


26 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“Go away to the peacocks whom 
you liked so well,” they said. 

Poor Mr. Bluejay ! The peacocks 
would not have him. The bluejays 
drove him away. He had no friends 
at all. What a very foolish bird he 
was ! 



THE DONKEY AND HIS FRIENDS 
SEEK THEIR FORTUNE 



NCE a donkey set out to 
seek his fortune. He met 
a cow. 

“Good morning,” said the cow. 
“Where are you going?” 

“ I am going to seek my fortune,” 
said the donkey. 

‘ ‘ May I go with you ? ” said the 
cow. 


“No, you may not,” said the 
donkey. 

“Oh, yes, I will,” said the cow. 
“Well, then, follow after,” said 
the donkey. 


27 


28 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

The COW followed. 

They had not gone far when they 
met a sheep. 

‘ ‘ Where are you going ? ” said the 
sheep. 

“lam going to seek my fortune,” 
said the donkey. 

“May I go with you?” said the 
sheep. 

“No, you may not,” said the 
donkey. 

“ Oh, yes, I will,” said the sheep. 

“Well, then, follow after,” said 
the donkey. 

They went a little farther and met 
a pig. 

“Where are you going?” said 
the pig. 


THE DONKEY AND HIS FRIENDS 29 

“I am going to seek my fortune,” 
said the donkey. 

“May I go with you?” said the 
pig- 

“No, no,” said the donkey. 

“Oh, please say ‘Yes,’” said the 
pig. 

“Well, then, ‘Yes,’ follow after,” 
said the donkey. 

The pig followed. 

A little farther on they met a 
dog. 

“Where are you going?” said 
the dog. 

“ I am going to seek my fortune,” 
said the donkey. 

“I am going with you,” said the 
dog. 


30 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 


“No, you are not,” said the 
donkey. 

“Oh, please let me go,” said the 
dog. 

“Well, then, come along,” said 
the donkey. 

As they went along, they met 
a cat. 

“Where are you going?” said 
the cat. 

“ I am going to seek my fortune,” 
said the donkey. 

“ May I go with you ? ” said the 
cat. 

“No, I do not want you,” said 
the donkey. 

“Oh, but I must go,” said the 


cat. 


THE DONKEY AND HIS FRIENDS 31 

“Well, then, follow along,” said 
the donkey. 

The cat followed. 

Soon a turkey came along. 

“Where are you going?” said 
the turkey. 

“lam going to seek my fortune,” 
said the donkey. 

“Let me go with you,” said the 
turkey. 

“That I will not,” said the donkey. 

“Oh, please let me go,” said the 
turkey. 

“Oh, then, come on,” said the 
donkey. 

The turkey went along. 

Still farther down the road they 
met a rooster. 


32 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“Where are you going?” said 
the rooster, 

“ I am going to seek my fortune,” 
said the donkey. 

“May I go with you?” said the 
rooster. 

“No, you may not,” said the 
donkey. 

“Oh, yes, I will,” said the rooster. 

“You are of no use, but come 
along,” said the donkey. 

And along went the rooster. 

First came the donkey, then the 
cow, then the sheep, then the pig, 
then the dog, then the cat, then the 
turkey, and last the rooster. They 
went on and on until they came to a 
deep woods where they saw a light. 


THE DONKEY AND HIS FRIENDS 33 

The donkey called the cat. 

“Get up into this tree, and see 
what makes that light,” he said. 

The cat got up into the tree. He 
could see well with his big green eyes. 

“Oh, Mr. Donkey,” he said. 
“There is a little house. In the 
house are some men. They are 
going to bed now. ” 

“Very well,” said the donkey. 
“Now, my friends, hear me. I 
have heard of this house. Bad 
men are living in it. They take 
things from other men. Let us 
drive them away. Mrs. Cow, what 
can you do to help ? ” 

“I can moo, and I can hook,” 
said the cow. 







Y.^rria3 




-;%v, ^v/rS 


rv>'v 








“Now, MY FRIENDS, HEAR ME.” 




THE DONKEY AND HIS FRIENDS 35 

“I can baa and bleat,” said the 
sheep. 

“I can squeal and bite,” said the 
pig. 

“I can bark and bite,” said the 
dog. 

“I can mew and scratch,” said 
the cat. 

“I can gobble and peck,” said 
the turkey. 

“I can crow and peck,” said the 
rooster. 

“Well enough,” said the donkey. 
“I will say ‘Go,’ when the time 
comes.” 

Then they went up to the little 
house. The bad men were asleep 
upstairs. The doors were open. 


36 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

and the donkey and his friends 
went in. They kept very still. 
The donkey lay before the door. 
The cow went out into the shed. 
The sheep hid behind a chair. The 
pig lay down on the last stair. The 
dog went outside the door. The cat 
sat on top of a chair. The turkey 
sat on the table. They were very 
still. The bad men did not wake 
up. 

Soon the donkey said, “Go.” 
Then the cow said, “Moo, Moo.” 
The sheep said, “Baa, Baa.” The 
pig called out, “Wee, Wee.” The 
dog said, “Bow, Wow.” The cat 
cried, “Mew, Mew.” The turkey 
went, “Gobble, Gobble.” The 


THE DONKEY AND HIS FRIENDS 37 

rooster shouted, “Cock-a-doodle- 
doo.” What a noise they made! 

The bad men awoke and ran 
downstairs. On the last stair they 
fell over the pig. One went to the 
table to get a match. The turkey 
pecked him on the nose. Another 
fell into a chair. The cat scratched 
him in the face. They tried to 
reach the door. The sheep got in 
the way and caused them to fall. 
They got up and went out of the 
door. The dog bit them in the leg. 
They ran out to the shed. The cow 
hooked them and frightened them 
away. What a time they had! 

Away they ran, and never came 
back to the little house again. 


THE FOX WHO LOST HIS TAIL 


FOX lost his tail in a trap 
one day. He felt very sad, 
for all his friends had 
bushy tails. 

“Now I shall have a hard time,” 
he said. ‘ ‘ My friends will make fun 
of me. What shall I do ? ” 

The fox thought about it for a 
long time. At last he stood up 
against a tree. He called the other 
foxes to him. 

“Friends,” he said, “I wish to 
speak to you. It is about our tails. 
Did you ever think how useless they 



THE FOX WHO LOST HIS TAIL 39 


are? They do us no good. They 
are only in the way. Look at Mr. 
Rabbit. He has a very little tail. 
And how fast he runs. We could 
go faster if we had no tails. Let 
us cut them off. How many will 
do it ? ” 

“Turn around, turn around,” said 
all the foxes at once. “The trap 
has your tail, but not ours. We 
will keep ours on our backs. Good 
day.” 



THE KID WHO WOULD NOT GO 


NCE I found some money. 
With my money I bought 
a kid. He was a fine kid, 
but he would not go. 

It was getting very late, 

I had no time to wait. 

Oh, how I wanted him to go. 

I went to a stick. 

“Stick, Stick, beat Kid. Kid will 
not go,” I said. 

It is getting very late, 

I have no time to wait. 

Oh, how I want the kid to go. 

But the stick would not. 

40 



THE KID WHO WOULD NOT GO 41 

I went to the fire. “Fire, Fire, 
burn Stick, Stick will not beat Kid. 
Kid will not go,” I said. 

But the fire would not. 

I went to the water. “Water, 
Water, put out Fire. Fire will not 
burn Stick. Stick will not beat Kid. 
Kid will not go,” I said. 

It is getting very late, 

I have no time to wait. 

Oh, how I want the kid to go. 

But the water would not. 

I went to the ox and said, “Ox, 
Ox, drink Water. Water will not 
put out Fire, Fire will not burn 
Stick. Stick will not beat Kid. Kid 
will not go.” But the ox would not. 

Then I said to the butcher. 


42 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“Butcher, Butcher, kill Ox, Ox will 
not drink Water. Water will not 
put out Fire. Fire will not burn 
Stick. Stick will not beat Kid. Kid 
will not go.” 

It is getting very late, 

I have no time to wait. 

Oh, how I want the kid to go. 

But the butcher would not. 

I saw a rope as I went along. 
I said to the rope, “Rope, Rope, 
hang Butcher. Butcher will not 
kill Ox. Ox will not drink Water. 
Water will not put out Fire. Fire 
will not burn Stick. Stick will 
not beat Kid, and I cannot make 
Kid go.” But the rope would 
not. 


THE KID WHO WOULD NOT GO 43 

I went to the rat. “Rat, Rat,” I 
said, “gnaw Rope. Rope will not 
hang Butcher. Butcher will not kill 
Ox. Ox will not drink Water. 
Water will not put out Fire. Fire 
will not burn Stick. Stick will not 
beat Kid. Kid will not go.” But 
the rat would not. 

It was getting very late, 

I had no time to wait. 

Oh, how I wished the kid would go. 

At last I went to the cat. “Oh, 
please. Cat, catch Rat,” I said. 
“Rat will not gnaw Rope. Rope 
will not hang Butcher. Butcher will 
not kill Ox. Ox will not drink 
Water. Water will not put out 
Fire. Fire will not burn Stick. 


44 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

Stick will not beat Kid. Kid will 
not go.” 

“Well,” said the cat, 

“I see ’tis very late. 

You have no time to wait, 
ni help you make your kid to go.” 

Then Cat began to catch Rat. 
Rat began to gnaw Rope. Rope 
began to hang Butcher. Butcher 
began to kill Ox. Ox began to 
drink Water. Water began to put 
out Fire. Fire began to burn Stick. 
Stick began to beat Kid. And Kid 
ran home as fast as his legs could 
carry him. 

It was getting very late, 

I had no time to wait. 

How glad I was to see him go. 


THE DONKEY AND THE HORSE 


HORSE and a donkey 
were walking along a road. 
The donkey had a big load 
on his back. The horse had no 
load. The donkey asked the horse 
to help him. The horse would not 
help. The poor donkey was sick. 
“ Help me,” he said, “ or I shall die.” 

Still the horse would not help him. 
The donkey was too sick to go. 
Soon he fell dead. 

A man came along. “Look at 
this poor donkey,” he said. “The 
horse must carry him to town. He 
shall carry him on his back.” 



46 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

The man put the donkey on to 
the horse’s back. He put the load 
on, too. The horse had a hard time. 
It was a bigger load than the one 
which the donkey had asked him to 
carry. The horse wished that he 
had been kinder to the poor old 
donkey. 


THE FAIRY SHOES 

LADY once had a little 
baby. One day she gave 
him a party. Many people 
came. Each one brought some- 
thing for the baby. There was a 
fairy at the party. She gave the 
baby a pair of shoes. 

“These are fairy shoes,” the 
fairy said. “They will never wear 
out. When the baby grows, the 
shoes will grow. And there is an- 
other fine thing about them. They 
will pinch the little boy, sometimes. 
When he goes to school, he will have 

47 



48 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

to be a good boy. If he is not, the 
shoes will pinch him. If you call 
him, he will come quickly. If he 
does not, the shoes will pinch him.” 

The mother said, “Thank you,” 
and the fairy went away. 

The baby grew day by day. Soon 
he put on the shoes. Sometimes he 
was not a good boy. Then how the 
shoes did pinch ! He was glad to be 
good again. 

One day he set off for school. 
The birds were singing. The sun 
was shining. He came to a hill 
from which he could see a pond. 
In the pond were beautiful flowers. 

“ Oh ! ” said the little boy. ‘ ‘ How 
I wish I had those flowers. I have 


THE FAIRY SHOES 49 

never seen such beautiful ones be- 
fore. What do I care for school ? I 
am going to get the flowers first.” 
Then the shoes began to pinch. 
“Stop pinching me,” said the little 
boy. “I want those flowers, and I 
wish you wouldn’t pinch me. ” 

The little boy went to the pond. 
He let the shoes pinch and pinch. 
The flowers were out in the middle of 
the pond. He walked into the water. 
Then, what do you think ? His shoes 
went down under the water. The 
little boy could not see them any 
more. 

He did not care. He kept on pick- 
ing the flowers. It was very late. 
The school bell had rung. At last he 



He kept on picking flowers. 


THE FAIRY SHOES 51 

had all the flowers he wanted. He 
could not carry any more. Then 
he set off for school. 

My, how late it was ! When he 
went into the room all the children 
laughed. What do you think made 
them laugh? The little boy soon 
found what it was. There at his 
desk were his two shoes. In each 
was a big yellow flower. The chil- 
dren looked at the shoes, then at 
him. They laughed and laughed. 

“We know very well why you are 
late,” the teacher said. “You were 
at the pond. Put on your shoes, 
at once. ” Then the little boy had 
to put on his shoes while all the 
children looked on. He knew that 


62 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

they thought him a very naughty 
boy, indeed. He did not like it. 

“I will never be late again,” he 
said to himself. 

And you may be sure, he never 
was. 



BELLING THE CAT 

IRST MOUSE. -I am very 
unhappy. Mr. Cat is al- 
ways around. I cannot 
any longer. The other day 
he came very near catching me. He 
had my tail in his mouth, but I got 
away. I tell you, I will not stand it 
any longer! 

Second Mouse. — You are right, my 
friend. We cannot be happy when 
our lives are in danger. How I wish 
Mr. Cat were in the well I 
Third Mouse. — I, too, have been 

63 



stand it 


54 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

very unhappy. Mr. Cat has eaten 
two of my babies. I do not know 
what to do. 

Fourth Mouse. — I wish we could 
tell when he was coming. His paws 
are so soft we can hardly hear him 
at all. 

First Mouse. — I know of a plan! 
Let’s hang a bell around Mr. Cat’s 
neck. 

All the Other Mice. — Good ! Good 1 

Second Mouse.— I will go and get 
the bell. 

Second Mouse (Coming with the hell ).— 
Now, who will hang the bell about 
Mr. Cat’s neck? 

All the Mice at Once. — Not I! Not 
I! Not I! 


THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE 

HARE once met a tortoise. 
The tortoise was not going 
very fast. 

“How slow you are!” said the 
hare. “I pity any one as slow as 
you.” 

“You do ? ” answered the tortoise. 
“ Let us have a race. Slow as I am, 
I will beat you.” 

“Oh, what a race that will be,” 
said the hare, and he laughed. 

Just then Mr. Fox came along. 
The hare called to him, ‘ ‘ Come here, 
Mr. Fox. We are going to have a 

55 



56 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

race. Will you be the judge ? You 
may say, ‘ One, two, three. Go ! ’ ” 

The fox said he would be the 
judge. So he called, “One, two, 
three. Go ! ” 

The hare and the tortoise set off. 

The hare ran so fast he was soon 
out of breath. He looked around 
and saw the tortoise far behind. 

‘ ‘ This is easy, ” he said. ‘ ‘ I can lie 
down and rest a bit. The tortoise 
is very slow ! ” 

So he lay down under a tree and 
fell asleep. 

The tortoise did not stop at all. 
He saw the hare, but still he kept on 
until he had reached the goal. 

The hare awoke and ran to the 


THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE 57 

goal, also. “ Well, well. So you are 
here ! ” he said to the tortoise. 

“Yes, I am here,” the tortoise 
answered Slow but sure often 
wins the race ! ” 



THE THREE PIGS 


HERE were once three pigs. 
One was named Browney. 
One was named Whitey. 
One was named Blackey. Whitey 
was a very greedy pig. How he did 
like to eat ! He was so fat he could 
hardly run at all. Browney was the 
dirty pig. He would roll in the mud 
all day, and sleep in the dirtiest 
place he could find at night. Blackey 
was a good little pig. His mother 
would say, “You are the best one of 
all, Blackey.” 

One day Mrs. Pig said, “I am go- 



THE THREE PIGS 59 

ing on a long visit, but I will give 
each of you a new house. What 
kind shall I leave you, Whitey ? ” 

“Oh, a house made of cabbage,” 
said Whitey. And he smacked his 
lips at the thought. 

Then Mrs. Pig asked Browney, 
“What sort of a house would you 
like ? ” 

“Oh,” said Browney, “leave me 
a mud house. I could be happy in a 
house made of mud.” 

Mrs. Pig turned to Blackey. 

“Little Blackey,” she said, “what 
would you like ? ” 

“I will take a house made of 
brick,” he said. 

Not long after, Mrs. Pig went 


60 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

away, and the three little pigs 
moved into their new houses. They 
were all very happy for awhile. 
Whitey ate a little cabbage from the 
walls of his house each day, until he 
could feel the wind blowing through 
the holes. And Browney had almost 
as much mud as he wanted. 

But one day Mr. Wolf came to the 
door of Whitey’s house. ‘ ‘ Let me 
in,” he said. 

“No, no,” said Whitey, “by the 
hair of my chinny, chin, chin, I will 
not let you in.” 

“Then ril huff and Fll puff, and 
I’ll blow your house in,” said the 
wolf. 

So he huffed and he puffed until he 


THE THREE PIGS 61 

blew the house in. Then he carried 
poor Whitey away to his den. 

The next day the wolf went to 
Browney’s house. “Let me in,” he 
said. 

“No, no, no, by the hair of my 
chinny, chin, chin, I will not let you 
in,” said Browney. 

“Then Til huff and Til puff, and 
I’ll blow your house in,” said the 
wolf. 

So he huffed and he puffed until 
he blew the house in. Then he 
carried Browney away to his den. 

“Ah,” said the wolf. “When I 
have Blackey, I will call in my 
friends and we will have a feast. 
What a fine time we shall have ! ” 


62 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

He went to Blackey’s house. 
“Let me in,” he said. 

“No, no, by the hair of my 
chinny, chin, chin, I will not let you 
in,” said Blackey. 

“ Then Fll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll 
blow your house in,” said the wolf. 

So he huffed and he puffed, and 
he huffed and he puffed, but he 
could not blow the house in. 

Then he thought of a plan. 
“Little Blackey,” he said. “I 
know of a fine field of cabbage. 
Would you like some ? ” 

“Oh, yes,” said Blackey. 

“Very well,” said Mr. Wolf, “go 
to the field over yonder at four 
o’clock, and take all you want. It 


THE THREE PIGS 63 

is the finest cabbage you ever ate.” 
Then Mr. Wolf went away. 

The next morning Blackey got 
up at three o’clock and went to the 
field. He ate all the cabbage he 
wanted and ran home as fast as he 
could. Mr. Wolf went to the field 
at four o’clock, but he could see no 
pig. He was very angry. 

“I’ll get that pig somehow,” he 
said. 

He went to Blackey’s house again. 
“Do you like turnips?” he called 
to Blackey. 

“Oh, yes,” said Blackey. 

“I know where there are some 
big ones,” said Mr. Wolf. “Go 
over into Farmer White’s garden 


64 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

at four o’clock to-morrow morning, 
and you will find the best turnips 
you ever ate.” Then Mr. Wolf went 
away. 

The next morning Blackey got up 
at two o’clock. He went over into 
Farmer White’s garden and ate all he 
wanted. After that he went home. 

Mr. Wolf got up at three o’clock 
this time and went to the garden, 
but there was no little pig there. 
He was very angry again. 

“Just wait until I get that pig,” 
he said. ‘ ‘ He will taste good to me. ” 
Mr. Wolf went to Blackey’s house. 
“Blackey,” he said, “the best 
turnips are on the hill, over there. 
My, but they are fine turnips ! If you 


THE THREE PIGS 65 

would like some, you can get them 
at four o’clock to-morrow morning. ” 
Mr. Wolf went away. 

The next morning Blackey got 
up at one o’clock. This time he took 
his churn with him. He thought he 
would go to the field, and then take 
his churn to town. He ate all the 
turnips he wished, and was about 
to go when he saw Mr. Wolf coming. 

“Dear, dear!” he said, “there 
is Mr. Wolf! What shall I do ? ” 
Just then he thought of the churn. 
He jumped into it as fast as he 
could and rolled down the hill. 
Bump, bump, went the churn, right 
into Mr. Wolf who was walking up 
the hill. Poor Mr. Wolf was hurt 


66 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

SO badly he could not get up for 
some time. Blackey did not stop. 
He kept on until he reached the 
foot of the hill. Then he jumped 
out and ran home as fast as he 
could. When he was safe inside, 
he laughed at the thought of Mr. 
Wolf on the hill. He put on a 
kettle of water to boil, and went 
on with his work. 

Soon Mr. Wolf came along. 
“Blackey, I am going to get into 
your house, ” he said. 

He tried the door, but it would 
not open. He tried the windows, 
but he could not get in that way. 
So he climbed to the roof, and be- 
gan to crawl down the chimney. 
My, what a noise he made ! 


THE THREE PIGS 


67 


Blackey was not at all afraid. He 
took the cover from the pot of boil- 
ing water. Into the pot fell Mr. 
Wolf, and on went the cover ! 
“Ah,” said Blackey. “Now I 



Into the pot fell Mr. Wolf. 



68 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

have you. I will go at once to tell 
my brothers.” 

Blackey went to the wolfs den, 
where poor Whitey and Browney 
were waiting to be eaten up by Mr. 
Wolf and his friends. 

“You are free, you are free!” 
called Blackey. “Mr. Wolf is in my 
pot of boiling water. Come with 
me to my home. We shall have a 
fine dinner.” 

‘ ‘ Hurrah ! ” they shouted, and off 
they went to Blackey’s house. 



THE WIND AND THE SUN 

IND. — I am stronger than 
you. 

Sun. — 0 no ! I am 

j 

Wind. — I can tear up trees and 
blow down houses. 

Sun. — I can shine many days with- 
out getting tired. 

Wind.— I am tired of your boast- 
ing. Do you see that man coming 
along? We will try our strength 
on him. He has on a long coat. 
See who can make him take it off. 

69 



stronger 


70 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

The one who can do it is the 
stronger. 

Sun. — A good plan. You try first. 

{The wind blows, and blows, and follows the 
man. He makes a loud noise as he blows) 

Man. — What a cold day ! I am 
glad I wore my coat. I will hold it 
about me. This is such a strong 
wind. 

Sun. — Ha ! ha ! The man will not 
take off his coat. Let me try. 

{The sun shines on the man and follows him 
about) 

Man. — Well ! well ! First cold and 
then hot. What a day this is ! I am 
so hot that I cannot walk. I will sit 
down under this tree. 


THE WIND AND THE SUN 71 

{The sun shines through the leaves of the 
trees) 

Man. — I will have to go on. The 
sun shines through the leaves. What 
a hot day ! I cannot stand it any 
longer. I must take olf my coat at 
once. 

{The man takes off his coat) 

Sun. — Oh ! oh ! Mr, Wind ! Now 
what is the man doing? 

Wind. — He is taking off his coat. 
You, Mr. Sun, are the stronger. 



THE LAD WHO WENT TO THE 
NORTH WIND 

LADY was walking along 
one day. She had a pan 
full of flour. It was a 
windy day. The West Wind was 
blowing and blowing. Soon he saw 
the lady’s flour. 

“Whew! Whew !” he said, and 
away went the flour. 

The lady was very angry. She 
called her boy. “My boy,” she 
said, “see what the West Wind 
has done. He has blown away my 
flour. Go tell his father, the North 

72 



THE LAD AND THE NORTH WIND 73 

Wind. Perhaps he will give me 
back the flour.” 

The lad set out at once for the 
North Wind. It was a long way, 
but he kept on and on. When night 
came, he stopped at an inn. The 
next day he went on again. Soon 
he came to the North Wind. He 
told him about the flour. 

The North Wind was very sorry. 
“ West Wind is so fond of play,” he 
said. 

Then he gave the lad a cloth. 
“Take this,” he said. “When you 
wish something to eat, lay it on the 
table. Say to it these words : 

‘ Cloth, cloth, upon my table. 

Send me food, if you are able.’ 


74 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

‘ ‘ When you have said these words, 
you will find as much as you can eat 
on your table. As soon as you have 
had all you wish, say to the cloth : 

‘ Cloth, cloth, upon my table. 

Take away, if you are able.’ 

“Then the food will go away, and 
you can put the cloth into your 
pocket.” 

The lad was very happy. “This 
is better than the fiour,” he said, 
“Thank you. North Wind. I will 
take it home to mother at once.” 

On the way the lad stopped at the 
inn. When it was time for supper 
he took out the cloth. He said, 

“Cloth, cloth, upon my table. 

Send me food, if you are able.” 


THE LAD AND THE NORTH WIND 75 

Then, what a fine supper he had ! 

The innkeeper saw the cloth. 
How he wished that he had it ! 

That night the lad went to bed 
early. He was very tired. It 
was not long before he was fast 
asleep. 

At midnight the innkeeper crept 
up the stairs. He opened the door 
very softly. He could hear the lad 
sleeping. He went into the lad’s 
room. Softly he walked around until 
he found the cloth. “Ah,” he said, 
“now the cloth is mine. The lad 
will never know that I have it.” 
Down the stairs he went with the 
cloth in his pocket. 

The next morning the lad looked 


76 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

for the cloth. It was gone ! He 
looked and looked, but could not find 
it. How sad he was! “Poor 
mother,” he said. “I must not go 
home without the cloth. I will go 
back to the North Wind.” 

The lad went to the North Wind 
again. He was very sad. “What 
shall I do?” he said. “I must 
take something home to mother.” 

“Well, well,” said the North 
Wind. “You have been having a 
hard time. I will help you find the 
cloth. Take this stick and go back 
to the inn. When all the people are 
at dinner, say these words : 

‘Stick, stick, beat, beat, 

Until the cloth is at my feet.’ 


THE LAD AND THE NORTH WIND 77 

“You will see who has your 
cloth.’’ 

The lad thanked the North Wind 
and started off again. He stopped 
at the inn. The innkeeper met him 
at the door. “There is no room 
here,” he said. 

“But it is so cold,” said the lad. 
“Just let me stay for dinner, and 
I will go away. ” 

“Well then, come in,” said the 
innkeeper. ‘ ‘ But you must leave as 
soon as you have had your dinner. 
It is ready now.” 

The people came in for their 
dinner, and the lad called out, 

“Stick, stick, beat, beat. 

Until the cloth is at my feet.” 



“Oh, oh, oh,” he cried 


“ Please do not beat me ! ” 




THE LAD AND THE NORTH WIND 79 

Then what do you think happened ? 
The stick began to beat the inn- 
keeper. Oh, how it did beat him! 

The innkeeper did not know what 
to do! “Oh, oh, oh,” he cried. 
‘ ‘ Please do not beat me ! Stop beat- 
ing me, I say ! Oh ! Oh ! My back, 
my back ! ” 

But the stick kept on. 

At last the innkeeper could stand 
it no longer. He threw the cloth at 
the lad, and ran out of the room as 
fast as he could go. The lad did not 
wait for more trouble. He picked 
up the stick, put the cloth into his 
pocket, and went home to tell his 
mother all about it. 


THE UNHAPPY PINE TREE 



’ N a big forest stood a 
pine tree. He was a 
beautiful little tree. Ih 
summer the birds built their nests 
among his branches. In winter he 
was the only green tree, and every 
one loved him. But he was not 
happy. He did not like his needles. 

“How I do wish I had no needles,” 
he said. ‘ ‘ Gold leaves would be beau- 
tiful. If I only had leaves of gold, I 
should be happy.” 

A kind fairy heard these words. 
He touched the little pine tree with 


THE UNHAPPY PINE TREE 81 

his magic wand. In the morning the 
little pine tree awoke to find leaves 
of shining gold. He shook them so 
that the other trees would hear. 
How proud he was ! He wanted 
every one to see his beautiful leaves 
of shining gold. 

A man came along with a big 
bag. When he came to the little 
pine tree, he stopped. He had never 
seen anything like that before. “It 
must be a fairy tree,” he said. Then 
he picked the leaves and put them 
into his bag. 

The poor little pine tree had no 
leaves at all. The other trees looked 
at him sadly. They felt sorry for 
the little pine tree. 


82 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“ Dear, dear, no leaves at all,” the 
pine tree said. “If I only had 
leaves of glass, I should be happy.” 

The kind fairy heard these 
words. In the night he again 
touched the little tree with his magic 
wand. 

The next morning there were 
leaves of beautiful glass. The sun 
shone on them, and they sparkled 
like diamonds. All the trees looked 
at them. They thought the glass 
leaves very beautiful. The little pine 
tree was the happiest of all. 

“These are much better than 
leaves of gold, ” he said. 

Pretty soon it grew very dark. 
The wind began to blow. It blew 


THE UNHAPPY PINE TREE 83 

harder and harder. Then the rain 
fell. What a bad storm it was ! 
How it shook the little pine tree ! 

“ Oh, my leaves, my leaves,” said 
the little tree. ‘‘They will break, I 
know.” 

He was right. It was not long 
before every glass leaf was broken. 
The storm went away after awhile. 
But the glass leaves were gone. The 
little pine tree looked around. He 
saw the other trees of the forest 
with their green leaves. 

“After all, the green leaves are 
the best,” he said. “I wish that 
I had leaves like the other trees. ” 

In the morning he had green leaves 
just like the trees about him. 


84 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

‘ ‘ Good morning, ” the trees said to 
him. “Now you are like us. But 
you are a pine tree, and pine trees 
should have needles. ” 

“I do not like needles. I want 
leaves like yours. Don’t you think 
they look beautiful ? ” the pine tree 
answered. “They are so fresh and 
green.” 

Just then a goat came along, and 
saw the little tree. “What a fine 
dinner, ” he said. Then he ate every 
leaf. Not one did he leave upon the 
branches. 

How sad the little tree felt ! “No 
leaves again,” he said. “I am tired 
of this. What shall I do? First a 
man, then a storm, and now a goat 


THE UNHAPPY PINE TREE 85 

has taken my leaves. I cannot feel 
safe at all. If I only had my needles 
back again, I should, be happy.” 

In the morning the little pine tree 
had its long, green needles. 

“Good morning,” one of the trees 
said to him. “Now you have your 
needles again.” 

“Yes,” answered the little pine 
tree, 

“ Gold leaves or glass leaves are beautiful 
to see, 

But needles are the best for a little pine 
tree.” 


THE TWO SISTERS 

HERE were once two sis- 
ters. One was a very- 
good girl. 

The other was a very bad one. 
One day the good girl was spinning. 
She was sitting near an old well, 
spinning away as fast as she could. 
Soon a strange thing happened ! 
Her spindle fell into the well. The 
good little girl was very much fright- 
ened. She was afraid her mother 
would not like it. “I will go and 
get the spindle,” she said. 

The well was an old one, and no 

86 



THE TWO SISTERS 87 

longer filled with water. She 
jumped into it. Then another 
strange thing happened ! She 
could not see her spindle, but she 
saw a beautiful field. In the field 
was a large oven. In the oven 
bread was baking. 

“Take us out, take us out,” said 
the loaves. “We are burning.” 

“I will take you out,” said the 
little girl. “ It is no fun to burn in an 
oven. I will take you out at once.” 

She took out the loaves of bread, 
and went on her way. She had not 
gone far when she came to an apple 
tree. 

“Shake me, shake me,” said the 
tree. 


88 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“Yes, those apples must be 
heavy,” said the good little girl as 
she shook the tree. 

She walked on farther until she 
came to a little house. In the door- 
way stood an old woman. 

“Come in, my child,” she said. 
“I want you to help me. I am so 
tired to-day.” 

“Very well,” said the little girl, 
“What can I do for you ? ” 

“You can shake my bed so that 
the feathers fly, ” said the old 
woman. 

“I shall like that,” said the good 
little girl. And she shook the bed 
until the feathers flew about like 


snow. 









IS^fe 




>K”i^ 




5r4-"K 

;w<; 


“ Come in, my child,” she said, 


90 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

The old woman was a fairy. 
When the bed was made, she called 
the little girl to her. “Go back 
the way you came,” she said. 
“You will find your spindle at the 
well.” 

The good little girl thanked the 
old woman, and started for the well. 
As she walked out of the door gold 
fell all about her. She was covered 
with it. How beautiful she looked ! 
And how happy she was. 

“That is for you,” said the old 
woman. “You are a good little girl. 
Go home and take the gold with 
you.” 

The good little girl was off at 


once. 


THE TWO SISTERS 91 

When she reached home the cock 
saw her. He cried, “Cock-a-doodle- 
doo, here comes our golden girl. ” 

The good little girl’s mother was 
very happy. She took the gold into 
the house, and put it into a big 
box. 

“Where did it all come from?” 
she asked. 

The good little girl told her mother 
all about it. 

The bad sister did not like it. She 
wanted to be covered with gold, too. 
She took her spindle down to the 
well. She spun and spun for a long 
time. Soon her spindle, too, fell into 
the well. She jumped in, just as 
her sister had done. She, too, saw a 


92 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

beautiful field. There was the same 
big oven in the field. The same 
loaves of bread were burning in the 
oven. 

“Take us out, take us out,” they 
cried. 

The bad little girl forgot all about 
what her sister had done. 

“What! Burn my hands! Not 
I ! ” she said. 

She went on, and left the loaves 
burning in the oven. She had not 
gone far when she came to the apple 
tree. 

“Shake me! Shake me!” cried 
the tree. 

“That I will not,” said the bad 
little girl. “ I do not care to be hit 


THE TWO SISTERS 93 

in the head with your big apples. 
You can shake yourself.” 

Soon she came to the little house. 
The old woman called her from in- 
side. 

“Come in, little girl,” she said. 
The bad little girl went in. 

“I am glad to see you,” said the 
old woman. “I am very tired to- 
day. You can work for me a little. 
Will you shake my bed until the 
feathers fly ? ” 

The bad little girl laughed. 
“What a queer thing to ask of me,” 
she said. “I must go at once. I 
have no time to shake feather 
beds.” 

As she went out of the door she 


94 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

looked up to see the gold fall. But 
what did she see? Not beautiful 
shining gold but black pitch. Down 
fell the black, black pitch all about 
her. How ugly she looked ! 

“Go home,” said the old woman, 
“and tell your mother that you can- 
not find your spindle.” 

The bad little girl was very sad. 
She ran home as fast as she 
could. 

When the cock saw her he called, 
“Cock-a-doodle-doo, here comes the 
pitch girl.” 

Every one ran away from her. 
They had never seen that kind of 
girl before. Her mother and sister 
were kind to her, but they felt sad. 


THE TWO SISTERS 


95 


For a long time the pitch would not 
come off. But when it was gone, I 
have heard them say that the bad 
little girl grew to be as good as her 
sister. 



THE OLD LION 

NCE a lion grew too old 
to hunt. He did not know 
how he was going to get 
enough to eat. At last he thought 
of a plan. He went into his den. 
He called in the first animal he 
saw. “I am very sick,” he said. 
“I am hungry, too. Please tell 
some of your friends to bring me 
something to eat.” 

The animal had a good heart. ‘ ‘ I 
will tell my friends,” he said, and 
went away. 

The next day the animal’s friends 

96 



THE OLD LION 


97 


began to come. As soon as they got 
inside the den, the lion ate them. 

After awhile a fox came along. 
He would not go into the den. He 
stayed outside and called in to the 
lion. “ How are you, Friend Lion ? ” 
he asked. 

“I am very sick,” answered the 
lion. ‘ ‘ Come in and see me awhile. ” 

“Oh, never mind,” said the fox. 
“I see that all the tracks point into 
the den, but none point away from 
it. Good day.” 


THE WOODMAN AND HIS AX 



|HERE was once a very poor 
man. He was a wood- 
man. Every day he cut 
down trees. He took them to town 
to sell. 

One day he was hard at work. 
He was near a deep well, when Oh ! 
oh ! The head of his ax fell off. 
It fell into the well ! The poor 
woodman did not know what he 
should do. He was very poor. He 
could not get a new ax head. He 
tried to get the old one out of the 
well. Oh, how hard he tried ! 

98 


THE WOODMAN AND HIS AX 99 

At last he had to give up. 

By and by a fairy came along. 
“Poor man! ” she said. “What is 
the matter?” 

“My ax head is in the well and 
I cannot get it,” the woodman 
replied. “I am too poor to buy 
another.” 

“I may be able to help you,” said 
the fairy. 

She jumped into the well. The 
woodman could not see her for a 
long time. When she came up she 
had an ax head in her hand. It was 
made of gold. 

“ Is this yours ? ” she asked. 

“No,” answered the woodman. 
“ My ax head was not so good as that. ” 


100 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 



She jumped into the well. 


“I will try again/’ said the 
fairy. 

Again she went down into the 
well. Again the woodman could not 
see her for a long time. At last she 


THE WOODMAN AND HIS AX 101 

came up with another ax head. It 
was made of silver. 

“ Is this yours ? ” she asked. 

“No,” answered the woodman, 
“mine was not so good as that.” 

“Very well. Down I go again,” 
said the fairy. 

She put the gold and silver ax 
heads on the grass and jumped into 
the well. She was gone a very long 
time. When she came up she had a 
steel ax head. 

“Is this yours ? ” she asked. 

“Yes, yes,” answered the wood- 
man, “that is mine. Now I can work 
again. Thank you, my good fairy.” 

“And thank you, my good work- 
man,” said the fairy. “Thank you 


102 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

for being so honest. You might 
have taken the gold or silver ax 
head. You were too honest to take 
them. Now I am going to leave 
them with y.ou.” 

And away went the fairy, leaving 
the gold and silver ax heads with 
the woodman. 

The woodman took the ax heads 
home. He and his wife were very 
happy that night. 

“Let us always be honest,” they 
said. 



THE GREEDY MASTER 


WOLF once caught a fox. 
“Spare my life,” said the 
fox. “I will be your 

servant. ” 

The wolf wanted a servant. “I 
will spare your life. You shall wait 
upon me,” he said to the fox. 

“I will do my best,” the fox an- 
swered. 

One day the wolf and the fox were 
walking in the forest. The wolf 
became very hungry. “Get me 
something to eat,” he said to his 
servant the fox. 



103 


104 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“That I will,” the fox answered. 
‘ ‘ Over yonder are two lambs with 
their mother. I will get you one of 
them.” 

‘ ‘ Agreed. Be quick about it, ” an- 
swered the hungry wolf. 

The fox ran to the two lambs. 
The lambs were eating grass. He 
seized one and ran off with it. He 
did this quickly. The mother sheep 
did not see him. 

“ Here is a lamb for your dinner,” 
he said to the wolf. 

The wolf ate the lamb and wanted 
more. 

“ Do not eat any more to-day,” the 
servant begged of his master. 

“I will do as I please,” the wolf 


THE GREEDY MASTER 105 

answered. “I will get the other 
lamb. You may stay here and wait 
for me. Do not leave or I will catch 
you and eat you up.” 

“I will not leave,” the fox an- 
swered. 

The fox pointed out the place to 
the wolf. The wolf found the lamb. 
He tried to carry it off. The wolf 
made a great deal of noise. The 
mother sheep looked up. She saw 
the wolf and was frightened. She 
bleated loudly. 

Out came the farmer who owned 
the sheep. The farmer carried a 
big stick. He caught the wolf. He 
taught him how a stick may be 
used. 


106 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

The wolf was lame and sore. He 
could hardly get back to the fox. 
“You are a fine one,” he said. 
“Why didn’t you tell me there was 
a man with a stick about the place? ” 

“I told you not to take another 
lamb,” the fox answered. “It is 
not wise to be greedy.” 

The next day the fox and the wolf 
were walking in the fields. The wolf 
again became hungry. “Get me 
something to eat,” he said to his 
servant the fox. 

“That I will,” the fox answered. 
“Not far from here is a house. A 
woman made pancakes there, this 
morning. There is a plateful on her 
table. I will get you a few.” 


THE GREEDY MASTER 107 

‘ ‘ Agreed. Be quick about it, ” the 
hungry wolf answered. 

The fox servant ran to the house. 
He slyly crept about. He peeped in 
at the kitchen window. He saw the 
plateful of pancakes on the table. 
The door was open and he went in. 
He ate one cake himself. He car- 
ried off six for his master. 

“Here are some pancakes for 
your dinner,” he said to the wolf. 

The wolf ate the pancakes and 
wanted more. 

“Do not eat any more to-day,” 
the fox said to his master. 

“I will do as I please,” the wolf 
answered. “I will get some more 
of the pancakes. You may stay 


108 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

here and wait for me. Do not 
leave or I will catch you and eat you 
up,” 

“I will not leave,” the fox an- 
swered. 

The fox pointed out the place. 
The wolf went to the house. 

He walked into the kitchen. On 
the table lay the plate. There were 
pancakes on it. ‘ ‘ Ah, ” said the wolf. 
“I will eat every one.” 

He grabbed the pancakes quickly. 
The dish fell to the floor. It broke 
into many pieces. 

The farmer’s wife heard the noise. 
She came running into the kitchen. 
She took up the broom and gave the 
wolf a beating. He was so lame he 


THE GREEDY MASTER 109 

could hardly walk. He limped out 
of the house. 

It took him a long time to reach 
the fox. “You are a fine one,” he 
said. “Why didn’t you tell me there 
was a woman with a broom about 
the place ? ” 

“I told you not to eat any more 
pancakes,” the fox answered. “It 
is not wise to be greedy.” 

The next day the wolf and the fox 
were walking along a road. The 
wolf again became hungry. “Get 
me something to eat,” he said to his 
servant the fox. 

“That I will,” the fox answered. 
“I know a place where there is a 
barrel of salted pig’s meat.” 


110 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

‘ ‘ M-m-m, ” said the wolf. ‘ ‘ Where 
is it ? ” 

“Over yonder in a cellar,” the fox 
answered. “Come with me, this 
time.” 

“Very well,” the wolf answered. 

The fox and the wolf went to the 
cellar. There was a hole in one cor- 
ner. The fox crawled through easily. 
The wolf could barely get through 
the hole. He was glad when he at 
last got into the cellar. 

In the middle of the floor stood the 
barrel of salted pig’s meat. 

“My, but I am hungry ! ” said the 
wolf. He pushed the fox aside. 
He wanted to be the first one to 
taste of the pig’s meat. 




112 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

The meat tasted good. The wolf 
ate and ate. The fox ran up and 
down between the barrel and the 
hole. He kept looking around. He 
wanted to see if any one was 
coming. 

“Do not make so much noise,” 
said the wolf with his mouth full of 
pig’s meat. 

“I cannot help it. My feet are 
tired and heavy,” the fox answered. 

The fox made a great deal of 
noise. The man who owned the 
meat heard him. He came running 
into the cellar. The fox saw him 
coming. He sprang through the 
hole. The wolf tried to get through. 
He could not. He had eaten too 


THE GREEDY MASTER 113 

much pig’s meat. The man caught 
the wolf and made an end of him. 

The fox ran away as fast as he 
could. At last he was free again. 
How happy he was ! He ran quickly 
into the woods to see his friends. 
Soon he forgot all about his greedy 
master. 



I 


THE BRAVE TIN SOLDIER 



TIN soldier lay in a box. 
He had eleven brothers. 
“Here are twelve tin 
soldiers,” cried a little boy. “How 
brave they look ! ” 

The little boy took the tin soldiers. 
He set them on the table. “Oh,” 
he cried. “One soldier is not like 
the rest. He has but one leg. How 
firm he stands. He is the bravest 
soldier.” 

The tin soldier wore a red and 
blue suit. He carried his gun over 
his shoulder. He looked straight 



THE BRAVE TIN SOLDIER 115 

ahead. He was not afraid of the 
world. 

At night the little boy put the 
eleven soldiers into their box. He 
closed the lid. The brave tin soldier 
was left on the table. He stood 
near the Jack-in-the-Box. He could 
see many toys about him. 

When all was quiet, the toys had 
their fun. The balls bounced up 
and down. They rolled along the 
floor. The rocking horse rocked 
back and forth. The marbles 
knocked against each other in their 
bag. The eleven tin soldiers jumped 
up and down in their box. They 
wanted to get out. They wanted 
to have some fun. 


116 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

On the table was a doll house. 
At the door stood a paper doll. She 
had but one leg. She danced like a 
fairy. Her face was beautiful. 

The tin soldier liked the paper 
doll. “Come and play with me,” 
he said to her. 

The paper doll would not play with 
the tin soldier. The tin soldier felt 
very sad. He went back to his place 
near the Jack-in-the-Box. He did 
not care to play with any one. 

The Jack-in-the-Box began to 
whisper to the soldier. “You are 
a brave soldier,” he said. “You 
carry your gun over your shoulder. 
You look straight ahead. Do this 
always. Then the paper doll will 


THE BRAVE TIN SOLDIER 117 

come and play with you. But you 
must never cry aloud. You must 
never move your eyes. You must 
not drop your gun. I am a fairy 
Jack-in-the-Box. Do what I have 
told you.” 

The tin soldier was glad to hear 
this. “Thank you, dear fairy,” he 
said. 

“A brave tin soldier I will be. 

In fire, in water, on land, on sea.” 

In the morning the toys went 
back to their places. The little boy 
did not know about their fun. 

He took out his soldiers. He set 
them up again on the table. “Left ! 
Right ! Left ! Right ! March ! ” 
he cried. 


118 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

He put the bravest tin soldier on 
the window sill. • “I am going 
away,” he said. “I want you to 
stand here, in the window. You 
may be the guard.” 

The brave tin soldier was very 
proud. He wanted to look at the 
beautiful paper doll. “Do not move 
your eyes,” the Jack-in-the-Box had 
said. The brave soldier did not 
look at the paper doll. 

The boy went out and left the 
door open. A strong wind blew in 
through the open door. It blew the 
tin soldier right out of the window. 
Down, down, went the brave little 
fellow. He fell three stories. He 
said not a word. 


THE BRAVE TIN SOLDIER 119 

He fell into a crack in the side- 
walk. His head was in the crack. 
His one leg pointed into the air. 

The little boy looked for his guard. 
He came near the crack in the side- 
walk. The soldier might have cried, 
“Here I am.” The boy would have 
found him. 

The brave little soldier thought of 
this. Then he thought of the Jack- 
in-the-Box. He thought of the 
paper doll. “You must never cry 
aloud, ” the Jack-in-the-Box had 
said. 

The brave soldier would not cry 
out to the little boy. He carried his 
gun over his shoulder. He looked 
straight ahead. He lay in the crack. 


120 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

head downward. His head ached 
and ached. 

Before long it began to rain. It 
rained very hard. After the rain, 
the sun came out. Two little boys 
came walking along. 

One of the boys fell over the tin 
soldier. “Oh!” he cried. “Some- 
thing tripped me.” 

“It is a tin soldier,” said the other 
boy. ‘ ‘ It has been in the rain. Let 
us make a boat for him. He can 
sail along the gutter. He can have 
a nice ride.” 

“That will be great fun,” the 
other boy answered. 

The boys made a boat out of a 
newspaper. They put the brave tin 


THE BRAVE TIN SOLDIER 121 

soldier into it. They put the boat 
into the water of the gutter. It 
had rained so hard the water ran 
fast. “ What a fine ride the soldier 
is having,” cried the boys. 

The brave soldier liked the ride. 
It made his head feel better. 

Soon the waters began to run 
more quickly. The boat sailed 
faster and faster. It sailed so fast 
the boys could not catch it. On it 
went, toward a bridge. The bridge 
formed a part of a drain. Under 
the bridge went the little boat. It 
was very dark. 

Now, the brave soldier did not 
like his ride. He wanted to cry out 
for help. He wanted to jump out 


122 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

of the boat. He wanted to try and 
swim back. 

Then he thought of the Jack-in- 
the-Box. He thought of the paper 
doll. “I will be brave,” he said to 
himself. He carried his gun over 
his shoulder. He looked straight 
ahead. He did not cry. He did not 
call. He tried to be a brave tin 
soldier. 

By and by he saw the light shin- 
ing. He was near the end of the 
drain. Here the waters fell down 
into a big river. 

The boat turned around and 
around. It made the tin soldier 
very dizzy. 

The paper boat was wet. It fell 


THE BRAVE TIN SOLDIER 123 

apart. Down fell the soldier into 
the deep waters. 

Now he wanted to cry “Help! 
Help!” He wanted to try to swim 
to the shore. He wanted to drop 
his gun. He thought of the Jack- 
in-the-Box. He thought of the 
paper doll. He kept his gun over 
his shoulder. He looked straight 
ahead into the water. He did not 
move his tin lips. “I am lost,” he 
thought. 

At this moment a fish came along. 
He swam toward the tin soldier. 
He swallowed him quickly. 

Again the brave soldier was in a 
dark place. It was the darkest place 
of all. 


124 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

The fish swam about. Soon it 
fiopped and splashed. “Now my 
end has come,” thought the soldier. 
Still he would not move. He would 
not drop his gun. 

The little fellow lay in this place 
for a long time. Then he heard 
some one talking. “This is a fine 
fish,” a voice said. “I will cook it 
for supper.” 

Rip ! The cook cut open the fish. 
Out fell the brave tin soldier. 

“Well, well, how very strange,” 
the cook cried. ‘ ‘ The fish must have 
eaten a tin soldier. I will give it 
to the children.” 

The cook went into the play room. 
She put the tin soldier on the table. 


THE BRAVE TIN SOLDIER 


125 



The cook cut open the fish. 


Then she went back into the kitchen. 

The soldier wept tin tears for joy. 
He was back again in the little boy’s 
play room. He was next to his old 
friend the Jack-in-the-Box. “Tell 


126 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

me where you have been,” said the 
Jack-in-the-Box. 

The soldier told about his travels. 

The paper doll stood before the 
doll house. She heard what the 
soldier was saying. ‘ ‘ What a brave, 
brave soldier,” she called to him. 

Just then the cook came back from 
the kitchen. The toys stopped talk- 
ing. ‘ ‘ I will not keep this toy, ” the 
cook said. “He has but one leg. 
The children will not want him.” 

The cook threw the tin soldier 
into the fireplace. The fireplace 
was in one corner of the play room. 
A bright fire was burning. It was 
very hot. ‘ ‘ I will be brave, ” thought 
the tin soldier. 


THE BRAVE TIN SOLDIER 127 

The cook went out. She closed 
the door hard. A puff of wind blew 
into the room. It blew the paper doll 
into the fireplace. 

The brave tin soldier melted for 
joy. The beautiful paper doll danced 
merrily. 

Then they both turned into smoke 
fairies. They went up the chimney 
together. 


THE CAT, THE WEASEL, AND THE 
RABBIT 

RABBIT made a cozy 
home in the grass. She 
was a neat rabbit. She 
liked her neat home. 

One day she went to market to buy 
some lettuce. When she got back, 
she found a weasel in her cozy home. 

‘ ‘ What are you doing here ? ” she 
asked the weasel. 

“I have come here to live,” the 
weasel answered. 

“What! Come to live in my 
home 1 ” cried the rabbit. 

“ This is not your home,” said the 

128 



THE CAT, WEASEL, AND RABBIT 129 

weasel. ‘ ‘ This home is in the grass. 
It belongs to Mother Earth. Go 
away from here.” 

“I will not leave,” the rabbit an- 
swered. 

“Nor will I,” replied the weasel. 
“Then let us ask the cat to judge 
for us. He will be a fair judge,” 
answered the rabbit. 

“I am willing,” said the weasel. 
The weasel and the rabbit chose a 
big old cat for a judge. 

The cat sat up straight. He 
looked very wise. 

The weasel told his side of the 
story. The rabbit told her side. 
They had much to say. They both 
talked at the same time. 


130 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“Come nearer,” said the cat 
judge. “I am a little deaf. I can- 
not hear what you say.” 

The weasel and the rabbit drew 
nearer. 

“Come still nearer,” said the cat 
judge. 

The weasel and the rabbit moved 
up close to the judge. 

The cat seized the weasel with one 
set of claws. With the other, he 
seized the poor rabbit. First he ate 
the weasel — then he ate the rabbit. 
In this way he put an end to their 
quarrel. 

Do you think the cat was a fair 
judge ? 


THE CROW AND THE PITCHER 



CROW was once very- 
thirsty. He looked for 
water. He could not find 
any. The streams were dry. The 
brooks were dry. It had been a hot 
summer. 

The crow flew here and there. “I 
must find some water,” he said. 

At last he saw a big pitcher. It 
stood in a lady’s yard. The lady had 
gone away. 

The crow flew down to the pitcher. 
There was a little water in it. The 
crow tried to get the water. He 


132 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

could not reach it. It made him 
very thirsty. ‘ ‘ I will get the water, ” 
the crow said. 

He looked about. He saw many 
tiny stones. ‘ ‘ I have a good idea, ” 
he said. 

He picked up some of the tiny 
stones. One by one he put them 
into the pitcher. The water rose 
higher and higher. 

The crow picked up more stones. 
He put these into the pitcher. The 
water rose still higher. 

The crow picked up more stones. 
It took a long time. The crow was 
tired. But he would not stop. 

Soon all the stones were in the 
bottom of the pitcher. The water 


THE CROW AND THE PITCHER 133 

was away up at the top. Now the 
crow could reach the water. 

The crow drank and drank. ‘ ‘ Ah, ” 
he said. ‘ ‘ I never tasted such fine 
water. I am glad that I worked 
hard to get it.” 


TOM THUMB 


POOR woodcutter and his 
wife sat alone in their 
cottage. “How lonely it 
is,” said the woman. “I wish we 
had a child to live with us.” 

“That is true,” replied the hus- 
band. “A child would bring sun- 
shine and gladness.” 

“Yes,” went on the good woman, 
“if he were no bigger than your 
thumb, I should be happy.” 

For a year the woodman and his 
wife lived alone in their cottage. 
Then one day, a son came to live 

134 



TOM THUMB 135 

with them. He was a fine little fel- 
low. But he was no bigger than his 
father’s thumb. “What a dear 



He was no bigger than his father’s thumb. 


little child,” cried the wife of the 
woodman. “Let us name him Tom 
Thumb. He is little. But he is 
well and happy. He should make 
his way in the world.” 



136 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

The woodman and his wife gave 
Tom good things to eat. They let 
him play in the fresh air and sun- 
shine. Still, he never grew any 
taller. He was a bright child. He 
knew more than the larger children. 
He was full of fun, too. Every one 
liked him. 

One day his father was going 
into the forest. He was going 
to cut wood. “I wish you would 
send the wagon into the forest,” 
he said to his wife. ‘ ' I must have 
it. But I cannot wait to get it 
ready.” 

The wife said she would try to get 
the wagon to the forest. “Do not 
trouble yourself,” said Tom to his 


TOM THUMB 137 

mother. “I will take the horse and 
wagon to the forest.” 

“You, my child!” cried the 
father. “You are too small. You 
cannot drive a horse and wagon.” 

“I am small, father. But I am 
not stupid, ” said the boy. ‘ ‘ Mother 
can put me into the horse’s ear. I 
will drive him into the forest.” 

The father laughed at this. The 
mother did not laugh. “Let Tom 
try it,” she said. “As you say,” 
the father answered. 

The father left. The mother 
hitched the horse to the wagon. She 
put little Tom into the horse’s ear. 
“Get up,” said the tiny driver. 

Away went the horse and wagon. 


138 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

Sometimes the horse went too fast. 
Then Tom would say, “Gently, 
Gently.” 

Soon they overtook two men. The 
men were walking along the road. 
“Gently, Gently,” Tom was saying. 
The two men looked around. They 
saw a horse and wagon. There was 
no driver. “How very strange,” 
said one to the other. “I heard a 
voice say, ‘Gently, Gently.’ Still, 
there is no driver. Why not follow? 
We must see where the horse is 
going.” “ We must do so,” said the 
other. 

The men followed the horse and 
wagon. Tom drove into the forest. 
He found the place where his father 


TOM THUMB 


139 


was working. “Take me down, 
father,” he cried. “It is warm up 
here in the horse’s ear.” 

The father took Tom Thumb down. 
He put him on a low stump. 

“ What a tiny driver,” said the 
two men. “What a dear little 
fellow. And how very clever.” 

Then one of the men whispered to 
the other, “A lad like this is not 
seen every day. Let us buy him. 
We can take him from one town 
to another. We can make a fortune 
with him.” 

“Indeed, we can,” said the other. 
“How much will you take for the 
boy?” he asked Tom’s father. 

“I will not sell him,” was the an- 


140 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

swer. “He is my own son. He is 
the joy of my household.” 

“Then we will take him,” said one 
of the men. 

The man snatched little Tom from 
the stump. He ran off with him. 
His friend followed. 

The poor woodcutter tried to catch 
them. He could not run fast. He 
had a sore foot. He had cut his 
foot with his ax. 

At last the woodcutter went back 
into the forest. He sat on a log. 
He cried and cried. 

The bad men ran out of the forest. 
They came to the road. They looked 
around. They could not see the wood- 
cutter. They did not run any more. 


TOM THUMB 


141 


“Take me back to my father,” 
cried Tom. 

“Be still,” said one of the bad 
men. ‘ ‘ If you cry we will pinch you. ” 

Tom did not cry. “I will do my 
best,” he thought. “Put me up on 
the rim of your hat,” he said to one 
of the bad men. “I can walk 
around. I can see the country.” 

The stranger liked the little fellow. 
He put him on the rim of his hat. 
This pleased Tom. 

The bad men left the road. They 
walked across a farmer’s field. It 
was growing dark. Tom grew tired 
of the man’s hat. “Put me down 
now,” he said. “I can run along on 
the ground beside you.” 


142 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

The bad man put Tom on the 
ground. Tom ran along beside 
him. The bad men were talking 
together. They were talking about 
the money they would make. They 
forgot Tom. 

Tom saw a snake’s hole. He 
slipped into it. “I hope the snake is 
not at home,” thought Tom. The 
snake was not at home. Tom was 
glad. 

The two men walked along a little 
farther. “Where is the boy?” one 
asked of the other. 

“Here I am in the snake’s hole,” 
cried Tom. 

The bad men found the snake’s 
hole. They poked a stick into it. 


TOM THUMB 


143 


Tom crept farther into the hole. 
The stick was not long enough. It 
did not reach him. 

Tom lay very still. The men 
thought they had the wrong hole. 
They gave up trying to get him. 
They went away. They were angry. 

Soon the men had gone. Tom 
crept out from his hiding place. It 
was very dark. “I must not travel 
to-night,” thought Tom. “This is a 
rough field. I might break an arm. 
I might break a leg. I might not 
reach home again.” 

He looked for a place to sleep. He 
did not want to sleep in the snake’s 
hole. “The snake might come 
home,” he said. 


144 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

Tom found a snail’s shell. He 
crept into it. He slept for three 
hours. 

When he awoke it was still dark. 
He heard voices. He looked out 
from the shell. He saw two men 
coming. “How can we get the rich 
man’s money ? ” asked one man. “I 
hope he has no iron bars on his win- 
dows,” said the other. 

“I will tell you how to get the 
money, ” cried Tom from the shell. 

“Who are you?” cried one of the 
men. 

“I am Tom Thumb. I am in a 
snail’s shell,” cried Tom. 

The men lighted a match. They 
looked for the snail’s shell. They 


TOM THUMB 


145 


soon found it. Tom stepped out 
quickly. 

The men laughed when they saw 
him. “You help us!” they said. 
“Who are you? What can you do 
for us?” 

‘ ‘ I am Tom Thumb, ” was the an- 
swer. “I am no bigger than your 
thumb. But I am clever. The rich 
man has bars on his windows. You 
can put me between the bars. I will 
throw the money out to you.” 

“That is not a bad idea,” one of 
the men said. “You could do that 
very well. We will take you with 
us.” The man put Tom into his 
pocket. Tom went to sleep. He 
was very tired. 


146 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

In a little while the man took Tom 
out of the pocket. Tom awoke. 

“Here we are/’ the man whis- 
pered. “We will put you through 
the bars. You must throw out the 
money.” 

“I will do that,” Tom answered. 

The man put Tom through the iron 
bars of the window. “How much 
do you want ? ” called Tom loudly. 

“Be still,” whispered the men. 
“Some one will hear you.” 

Tom made believe he could not 
hear well. “How much money did 
you say you wanted ? ” he called 
more loudly. 

The two men were frightened. 
They ran away. After awhile they 


TOM THUMB 


147 


came back. “Give us all the money 
at once, ” they said. 

“Did you say you wished all the 
money? ” called Tom. He called as 
loudly as he could. 

The men ran away at once. They 
did not come back. 

Tom slipped out of the window. 
He ran to the barn. 

The cook had heard what Tom 
said. She got up. She went into 
the room where the rich man kept 
his money. She could see no one. 
She looked out of the window. All 
was quiet in the yard. The cook 
thought she was dreaming. She 
went back to bed again. 

By this time Tom had reached the 


148 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

barn. He found a bed of hay in 
the haymow. He fell asleep. He 
dreamed he was at home with his 
father. 

In the morning a man came to get 
some hay. He wanted to feed the 
cows. He took up a bunch of hay. 
Tom was sleeping in it. 

The man did not know this. He 
fed the hay to a big cow. The cow 
ate it quickly. 

Tom found himself in a dark place. 
There were no doors nor windows. 
“I do not like this place,” said Tom 
in his shrill voice. The cow did not 
care what Tom thought about it. 
She kept on eating more hay. She 
was very hungry. 


TOM THUMB 


149 


“ Please do not eat any more hay,” 
Tom cried. He poked the cow. She 
went on eating. Tom cried out 
again, ‘ ‘ Please do not eat any more 
hay. Why do you not listen when 
I call to you ? ” He poked the cow 
as hard as he could. The cow did 
not care. She only went on eating. 

A man was milking the cow. He 
heard everything that Tom said. He 
thought he was milking a fairy cow. 
He was frightened. He ran to tell 
his master about it. 

The rich man came into the barn. 
He listened. He heard the shrill 
voice. It came from the inside of the 
cow. “Oh,” he cried, “it is surely 
a fairy. I will have to kill the cow.” 


150 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

The cow was killed. Tom jumped 
out into the fresh air and sunshine. 

“Well, of all wonders,” cried the 
rich man. ‘ ‘ Who ever saw as tiny a 
boy as this one ? ” 

“lam very tiny, ” said Tom. ‘ ‘ But 
I am clever. Take me into the 
house. I will tell how I saved you 
some money.” 

The rich man took Tom into his 
house. Tom told about the two men. 

The rich man was very grateful. 
“ I might have lost my money, ” he 
said. 

The rich man called his wife. He 
told her about it. “You dear little 
fellow,” she said to Tom. “We will 
treat you kindly.” 


TOM THUMB 151 

She bathed little Tom. She made 
him a new suit of clothing. She gave 
him a nut to eat. Tom liked nuts 
better than candy. 

Tom ate a part of the nut. He 
put the rest into his pocket. He was 
very happy. He played about with 
the children. 

Tom learned a great deal, too. 
He peeked about into everything. 
The cook made a pudding for supper. 
It was made of batter. The cook 
left the room. She went into the 
pantry. Tom climbed upon the 
bowl. He peeked into the pudding. 
His foot slipped. He fell into the 
batter. 

The cook came out from the pan- 


152 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

try. She found Tom in the batter. 
She took him out. She washed him. 
She kissed him, instead of scolding, 
“It is not safe to peek into pud- 
dings, ” she said to him, 

Tom had a good time. But he 
kept thinking of his father and of 
his mother. At last he told the rich 
man about it, “I must go home,” 
Tom said,' “I should like to see my 
father, I should like to see my dear 
mother, ” 

The rich man was sorry to say 
“Good-by” to his visitor. He put 
Tom into his pocket. He drove to 
the woodcutter’s cottage. He set 
Tom upon his father’s table. 

The father and mother saw Tom, 


TOM THUMB 


153 


Oh, how glad they were ! They 
kissed him many times. They wept. 
They were so very happy. 

“You have a fine son,” said the 
rich man. “He saved me a great 
deal of money. I am going to give 
you some of it.” 

The rich man gave the woodcutter 
a large sum of money. “ Come and 
visit me,” he said to Tom and his 
parents. 

“ We shall be glad to do so,” they 
said to the rich man. 

Then Tom told his father and 
mother about his travels. 

“ I have been on a man’s hat, 

I have been in a snake’s hole, 

I have been in a snail’s shell. 


154 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 


I have been in a man’s pocket, 

I have been inside a hungry cow, 

I have been in a batter pudding. 

And here I am in my own home,” said Tom. 

Tom’s mother kissed him. ‘‘And 
here you are going to stay,” she said 
to her little son. 


THE MAIDS WHO DID NOT. LIKE TO 
RISE EARLY 


N old woman kept two 
servant maids. She kept 
a cock, too. Every morn- 
ing the cock crowed. The old 
woman knew that it was day- 
break. Then she called the two 
maids. “Come, get up now,” she 
called. 

The maids did not like to rise 
early. They rubbed their eyes. 
They yawned many times. “I do 
not like to get up early,” the first 
maid said, one morning. “What 
shall we do ? ” asked the second maid. 

155 



156 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“Let US give the cock to a friend,” 
the first maid answered. 

“To be sure,” replied the second 
maid. 

The maids gave the cock to one 
of their friends. The old woman 
did not know where it was. “I will 
have to be the clock,” she said. 

There was no cock, now. The old 
woman had no real clock. She did 
not know when it was daybreak. 

One morning she woke the maids 
at three o’clock. 

Another morning she woke them 
at two o’clock. 

One time she woke them at mid- 
night. 

“Oh, my! Oh, my! What shall 


MAIDS WHO HATED TO RISE EARLY 157 

we do ! ” cried the servant maids. 
“The cock made a better clock than 
the old woman.” 

At last the maids bought another 
cock. Then, you may know, they 
took good care of it. 


THE WOLF AND THE CRANE 


H, oh/’ cried the wolf 
one day. “I have a 
bone stuck in my throat. 
Who will get it out for me ? ” 

The animals heard the wolf. They 
were afraid to help him. 

The wolf called again. ‘ ‘ Oh, oh, 
I have a bone in my throat. I will 
pay well the one who gets it out 
for me.” 

Just then a crane passed by. 

“Oh, please help me,” cried the 
wolf. “I will pay you well.” 

The crane put his long bill into 

158 



THE WOLF AND THE CRANE 159 

the wolf’s throat. He took out the 
bone. “Now where is my pay?” 
he asked. 

“Your pay! You had your head 
in a wolf’s mouth. You drew it 
out without a scratch. That is your 
pay,” the wolf answered. 

What an ungrateful wolf he was ! 


SILVER LOCKS AND THE THREE 
BEARS 

HERE once lived a little 
girl who had pretty hair. 
It shone like silver. People 
called the little girl Silver Locks. 

Silver Locks liked to play. That 
was all right. 

Silver Locks liked to romp. That 
was all right. 

Silver Locks liked to run away. 

That was not all right. 

One day Silver Locks ran out of 

her yard. She ran into the field. 

She picked pretty star fiowers. She 

picked some bluebells. 

160 



SILVER LOCKS 161 

She ran into another field. She 
chased the butterflies. They flew 
here and there. Silver Locks fol- 
lowed them. 

Silver Locks left this field. She 
walked down a road. At last she 
came to the woods. Near the edge 
of the woods was a cottage. Silver 
Locks had never seen this cottage. 
“I wonder who lives in it,” she 
said. 

The door was open. Silver Locks 
walked in. In the middle of the 
room was a table. On the table 
were three bowls. There was a 
LARGE BOWL. There was a MID- 
DLE-SIZED BOWL. There was a 
SMALL BOWL. Oatmeal porridge was 


162 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 



“I WONDER WHO LIVES IN IT,” SHE SAID. 

in the bowls. Silver Locks had had 
a long walk. She was hungry. 

She tasted of the porridge in the 
LARGE BOWL. “It is too hot,” 
she said. 




SILVER LOCKS 


163 


She tasted of the porridge in the 
MIDDLE-SIZED BOWL. “It is too 
salty,” she said. 

She tasted of the porridge in the 
SMALL BOWL. “This is just right,” 
she said. And she ate it all up. 

Silver Locks went into the next 
room. It was the sitting room. 
There was a LARGE CHAIR. 
There was a MIDDLE-SIZED CHAIR. 
There was a small chair. 

“I have been walking a long way. 
I am tired,” said Silver Locks. 

She sat down in the LARGE 
CHAIR. “It is too high,” she 
said. “My feet do not touch the 
floor.” 

She sat down in the MIDDLE-SIZED 


164 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

CHAIR. “It is too broad, ” she said. 
“ I do not like it at all. ” 

She sat down in the small chair. 
“This is just right,” she said. She 
sat down very hard. Out went the 
bottom of the small chair. 

Silver Locks got up at once. “I 
will go upstairs,” she said. 

She went upstairs into the bed- 
room. There was a LARGE BED. 
There was a MIDDLE-SIZED BED. 
There was a small bed. 

Silver Locks looked at the three 
beds. “I am sleepy,” she thought. 

She lay down on the LARGE BED. 
“This is too hard,” she said. 

She lay down on the MIDDLE-SIZED 
BED. “This is too soft,” she said. 


SILVER LOCKS 


165 


She lay down on the small bed. 
“This is just right,” she said. 

Silver Locks liked the bed very 
well. Soon she was fast asleep. 

Now, this little cottage belonged 
to three bears. 

There was a LARGE BEAR. He 
was the father. There was a 
MIDDLE-SIZED BEAR. She was the 
mother. There was a small bear. 
He was the baby. 

The mother bear had made oat- 
meal porridge for breakfast. It was 
very hot. ‘ ‘ Let us take a walk, ” she 
had said. ‘ ‘ We will come back soon. 
Then the porridge will be cool 
enough. ” 


166 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

The three bears came home from 
their walk. They walked into their 
house. On the table were the three 
bowls. 

The LARGE BEAR looked at his 
bowl. “SOMEBODY HAS BEEN 
TASTING OF MY PORRIDGE/’ 
he growled. 

The MIDDLE-SIZED BEAR looked at 
her bowl. “SOMEBODY HAS BEEN 
TASTING OF MY PORRIDGE,” she 
said. 

The SMALL BEAR looked at his 
bowl. “ SOMEBODY HAS BEEN TASTING 
MY PORRIDGE. IT IS ALL EATEN UP,” 

he cried. 

The three bears went into their 
sitting room. The LARGE BEAR 


SILVER LOCKS 


167 


looked at his chair. “SOMEBODY 
HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY 
CHAIR,” he growled. 

The MIDDLE-SIZED BEAR looked 
at her chair. “SOMEBODY HAS 
BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR,” she 
cried. 

The SMALL BEAR looked at his 
chair, “somebody has been sitting 
IN MY CHAIR,” he cried. “Oh, look! 
THE BOTTOM HAS BEEN BROKEN 
THROUGH!” 

The three bears went upstairs to 
their bedroom. The LARGE BEAR 
looked at his bed. ‘ ‘ SOMEBODY 
HAS BEEN TUMBLING MY 
BED,” he growled. 

The MIDDLE-SIZED BEAR looked at 


168 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

her bed. “SOMEBODY HAS BEEN 
TUMBLING MY BED,” she said. 

The SMALL BEAR looked at his bed. 
“SOMEBODY HAS BEEN TUMBLING MY 
BED,” he cried. “Oh, look! look: 
THERE SHE GOES!” 

Out of the window jumped Silver 
Locks. She had heard the voices 
of the three bears. Silver Locks 
ran home as fast as she could. She 
was very much frightened, '"^he did 
not care to run away again. 



THE SHOEMAKER AND THE ELVES 

SHOEMAKER was in 
trouble. He could not earn 
enough to buy food for 
his family. He was a hard 
working man. He was always 
honest. Each day he did his best 
work. But he wanted to do more 
for his family. 

At last his money was all gone. 
He had only a little leather. There 
was enough to make a pair of shoes. 
He cut the leather. He put it on the 
table in his workroom. ‘Hn the 
morning I will rise early. I will 
make the shoes, ” he said. 

169 



170 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

Then he went to bed. “I hope 
that I can sell the shoes,” he said 
to himself. 

The shoemaker rose early. He 
went into his workroom. He 
reached the worktable. His heart 
beat loudly. He could not speak for 
a minute. 

At last he called his wife. ‘ ‘ Come 
here at once,” he called. 

The shoemaker’s wife came run- 
ning into the workroom. Her hus- 
band had a new shoe in each hand. 

‘ ‘ What ! Have you finished the 
shoes ? ” she asked. 

The shoemaker told her what 
had happened. They hunted high 
and low in the workroom. There 


THE SHOEMAKER AND THE ELVES 171 

N 

was no workman to be seen. The 
doors and windc?ws were locked. “I 
cannot understand it,” the shoe- 
maker said. 

VHe put the shoes in the window. 
Soon a man came into the shop, 
“That is^a fine pair of shoes in xout 
window,” he said. “I think they 
will fit me. Try them on, and 
see. ” 

The shoemaker put the shoes on to 
the man’s feet. “I like the shoes 
very much,” the man said. “How 
much are they ? ” 

The shoemaker named his price. 
“You ask too little,” the man 
answered. “ I will give you twice as 
much,” 


172 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

The man laid the . money on the 
table, and left the shop. 

The shoemaker spent some of the 
money for food. With the rest he 
bought more leather. He bought 
enough for two pairs of shoes. He 
cut the leather. He put it on the 
table in his workroom. 

Then he went to bed. “I will 
get up early, ” he said. ‘ ‘ I can finish 
the two pairs. I may sell them be- 
fore sundown.” 

In the morning the shoemaker 
went into his workroom. On the 
table stood two pairs of shoes. Each 
pair was well made. Not a stitch 
was out of place. No wonder the 
shoemaker was happy ! Again he 


THE SHOEMAKER AND THE ELVES 173 

called his wife. They looked every- 
where in the workroom. The 
doors and windows were locked. 
There was not a sign of a workman. 

The shoemaker put both pairs of 
shoes in his window. He and his 
wife sat down in the workroom. 
They talked about their good for- 
tune. 

A man came into the shop. He 
bought one pair of shoes. He paid 
a good price for his pair. In a little 
while another man bought the second 
pair of shoes. He, too, paid a good 
price. “The shoes are made very 
well,” he said. 

The shoemaker bought more 
leather. He had enough to make 


174 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

three pairs of shoes. That night he 
went to bed with a light heart. 

“Things are going well with me,” 
he said. “I will rise early. I will 
sew the three pairs. ” 

In the morning the shoemaker 
found three pairs of shoes. Again 
he sold them. He bought more 
leather. This went on for days and 
weeks and months. Each night the 
shoemaker cut out the leather. Each 
morning the shoes were on the 
table. 

After awhile there were many 
shoes. The shoemaker had to buy 
five or six tables. Then he had to 
buy a larger shop. At last he was a 
very rich man. People liked his 


THE SHOEMAKER AND THE ELVES 175 

shoes. They came from near and 
far to buy them. 

One winter night his wife said, 
“We have had good fortune. I 
wish that we knew who has done 
this for us.” 

“Yes,” answered the good hus- 
band. ‘ ‘ Let us sit up, to-night. We 
can hide behind the dark curtain. 
We can see who has been so kind to 
us.” 

“A very good idea,” the wife 
replied. 

That night the shoemaker left the 
light burning. He and his wife hid 
behind a dark curtain. 

All was still, until midnight. Then 
they heard a patter of tiny feet. 


176 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

They peeked out from behind the 
curtain. They saw two tiny elves. 

The elves came running in through 
the wall. They sat down at the 
shoemaker’s bench. They sewed 
busily. They rapped and tapped, 
too. Their tiny fingers worked very 
fast. 

It was cold in the room. They had 
on their thin fairy clothes. They 
shivered a little. But they went on 
with their work. In a little while 
they were through. Then they ran 
out through the wall. 

The shoemaker and his wife came 
out from behind the curtain. “Now 
we know who our friends are,” the 
wife said. “The dear little elves. 









f^'-j'f •*-. ’*. ft V-^:* 




^:v^vA^v: 


They saw two tiny elves 


178 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

They were cold. They shivered as 
they worked. I will make them a 
suit of clothes. You can make each 
one a tiny pair of shoes. Let us 
make them to-morrow.” 

The shoemaker was glad to do this. 
The next day he made the shoes. 
His wife made the two suits. At 
night they put them on one of the 
tables. They again hid behind the 
curtain. 

At midnight the elves came run- 
ning through the wall. They saw 
what was on the table. They danced 
for joy. They put on the clothes 
at once. They hopped about the 
room. 


“This is just what we wanted,” 


THE SHOEMAKER AND THE ELVES 179 

they cried. ‘ ‘ A warm suit of 
clothes, and shoes for the winter.” 

What merry elves they were ! 
They skipped and played about. 
Then they danced away, through the 
wall. 

That was the last the shoemaker 
ever saw of them. But they were 
not far away. The shoemaker said 
he was sure of this. He always did 
so well, and was so very happy. 



THE WOLF AND THE DOG 


{The wolf meets a dog. The dog is in his 
master^ s yard) 

OLF. — Good evening, friend 
dog. How are you this 
fine moonlight night? 

Dog, — I am well and happy. How 
are you, cousin wolf? 

Wolf. — I am hungry. I have had 
nothing to eat to-day. The woods 
are bare. It is cold. I wish I had a 
warm house. 

Dog. — I have a warm house, I have 
good things to eat. I am happy. 

Wolf.— You look happy. You are 
sleek and fat. I wish I were in your 
place. 



180 


THE WOLF AND THE DOG 181 

Dog.— I will change places with 
you. 

Wolf. — How kind of you, friend 
dog. What must I do? 

Dog.— At night you must look out 
for bad men. They must not steal 
from my master. If they come you 
must bite them. 

Wolf. — That is easy enough. I 
can bite well. I have sharp teeth. 

Dog. —Come with me. I will show 
you my house. 

{The dog and the wolf walk along together) 

Wolf.— Friend dog, you wear a 
collar. Why do you do that? 

Dog.— I always wear a collar. My 
master fastens a chain to it. I am a 


182 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

little fierce you know. I am tied up 
in the day. 

Wolf.— Oh! Oh! How can you 
bear that? Tied up all day! How 
can you bear it? 

Dog. —I am free at night. Then I 
can run about. I can bark arid I can 
bite. 

{The wolf stops. He turns around. He 
looks away toward the forest) 

Wolf.— You have been kind to me. 
I thank you for your kindness. But 
do not show me your house. I do 
not wish to change places. I am 
glad I am a wolf. I must be off at 
once. Good evening. 

{The wolf runs off to the forest) 


LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 

NCE upon a time there 
was a little country girl. 
This little girl had a good 
old grandmother. The grandmother 
made her a pretty red hood. She 
made her a red cape, too. She made 
her a red dress with red trimming. 
People called the child Red Riding 
Hood. 

One day Red Riding Hood’s mother 
baked a cake. It was a nut cake. 
It had white frosting. The mother 
made a pot of butter too. She called 
little Red Riding Hood to her. 

183 



184 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“I have made a nut cake with 
white frosting. I have made a pot 
of butter, ” she said. ‘ ‘ I think your 
grandmother would like them. Put 
on your red hood and your red cape. 
Then take the cake and the butter 
to your grandmother. She will be 
glad to see you. She loves you very 
dearly.” 

“I will go, mother,” said little Red 
Riding Hood. “I will take the cake 
and the butter to grandma. ” 

Little Red Riding Hood put on her 
hood and cape. She took the cake 
and the butter. She set out for the 
home of her grandmother. 

There were woods near the town. 
Little Red Riding Hood had to go 


LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 185 



She took the cake and the butter. 


through the woods. As she went 
along she met a wolf. “Good day,” 
he said. “Where are you going?” 
“lam going to see my grandma,” 


186 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

said little Red Riding Hood. “I am 
going to take her a nut cake and a 
pot of butter.” 

“Where does your grandma live ? ” 
asked the wolf. 

“She lives in the house beyond the 
mill. It is the first house in the next 
town, ” said little Red Riding Hood. 

“I should like to visit her too,” 
said the wolf. “We will both go. 
You can go one way. I will go the 
other.” 

Little Red Riding Hood was not 
afraid of the wolf. She did not know 
how wicked he was. “All right,” 
she said to the wolf. “Which way 
do you want to go ? ” 

“I will go this way,” said the wolf. 


LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 187 

He pointed to the nearest path. 
“You can go that way. ” He pointed 
to the farthest path. “I will meet 
you at the home of your grand- 
mother. Good-by.” 

Off ran the wolf. He ran fast. 
He reached the grandmother’s house. 
He knocked at the door. No one 
answered. He knocked at the door 
again. No one answered. He lifted 
the latch. The door opened. The 
wolf walked in. He looked around. 
The grandmother was not at home. 

The wolf went into the bedroom. 
He got into the grandmother’s bed. 

Little Red Riding Hood was still in 
the woods. She was picking flowers. 
She was looking at the birds. She 


188 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

was watching the woodcutters at 
their work. By and by little Red 
Riding Hood left the woods. She 
walked down the road. She came to 
her grandmother’s house. Little Red 
Riding Hood knocked at the door. 
The wolf made his voice as soft 
as he could. “Who is there?” he 
asked. 

“It is I, little Red Riding Hood,” 
was the answer. “I have brought 
you a nut cake and a pot of butter.” 

“Lift the latch and walk in,” said 
the wolf. 

Little Red Riding Hood lifted the 
latch and walked in. “Where are 
you, grandma ? ” she called. 

“I am in bed. I have a bad cold. 


LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 189 

I do not feel well to-day,” said the 
wolf. 

Little Red Riding Hood went into 
the grandmother’s bedroom. She 
set the nut cake and pot of butter 
on the table. “I am sorry you are 
not well,” she said to her grand- 
mother. 

Little Red Riding Hood looked at 
the wolf. She had never seen her 
grandmother in bed. “How funny 
grandma looks, ” she thought. 

‘ ‘ Grandma, what great arms you 
have,” said little Red Riding Hood. 

‘ ' The better to hug you, my dear, ” 
the wolf answered. 

“Grandma, what big ears you 
have,” said little Red Riding Hood. 


190 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“ The better to hear you, my dear,” 
the wolf answered. 

“Grandma, what big eyes you 
have,” said little Red Riding Hood. 

“The better to see you, my dear,” 
the wolf answered. 

“Grandma, what big teeth you 
have,” said little Red Riding Hood. 

“The better to eat you, my dear,” 
the wolf answered. 

The wolf sprang out of bed. Little 
Red Riding Hood screamed. She ran 
toward the door. The wolf followed. 
Little Red Riding Hood opened the 
door. She ran out into the yard. 

The woodcutters were passing by. 
They saw little Red Riding Hood. 
They heard her scream. They saw 


LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 191 

the wolf coming out of the door. 
“ Oh ! Oh ! a wolf ! ” they cried. The 
woodcutters ran into the yard. They 
caught the wolf. They killed him 
quickly. They saved the life of 
little Red Riding Hood. 



THE CAT AND HER HOUSEKEEPER 

CAT asked a mouse to 
come and live with her. 
The cat was kind to the 
The mouse thought the cat 
was a true friend. “I will come 
and live with you,” the mouse said. 

“I am very glad to have you 
live with me,” said the cat. “Yoii 
are neat and tidy. You can stay^. 
at home and keep house. I will go 
out and get a living for both of us.” 

The mouse agreed to this. She 
lived happily with the cat for some 
time. 



mouse. 


192 


THE CAT AND HER HOUSEKEEPER 193 

One day the cat said to the mouse, 
“We are getting along very well. 
It is summer. There is plenty of 
food for both of us. But the sum- 
mer does not last long. Soon winter 
will be here. I shall have a hard 
time to find enough to keep us. 
Let us lay by a little food for the 
winter.” 

“Good,” said the mouse. “Let 
us do it at once.” 

The cat went out the next day to 
look for the food. She came home 
with a large pot of grease. 

“What a true friend you are,” 
said the mouse. “A pot of grease 
will taste good to us when the cold 
winds blow.” 


194 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 



She came home with a large pot of grease. 


“ Yes,” answered the cat. “ Cold 
winds make hungry animals. Where 
shall we hide the pot of grease ? We 
must put it in a safe place. We do 
not want it to be stolen.” 

“I will leave that to you,” said the 
mouse. “You are so clever.” 

The next morning the cat called 
the mouse to her. ‘ ‘ I have thought 


THE CAT AND HER HOUSEKEEPER 195 

of a good hiding place,” she said. 
“We will put the pot of grease in 
the church. There it will be safe. 
People do not often steal from a 
church. When winter comes we can 
get it.” 

“Good,” said the mouse again. 
‘ ‘ It pays to have a head like 
yours.” 

The cat hid the pot of grease in 
the church. 

In a few days she became uneasy. 
She kept thinking of the pot of 
grease laid away for the winter. 
At last she could stand it no longer. 

“I have heard from my aunt,” 
she said to the mouse one day. 
“She has a new baby kitten. She 


196 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

is going to have it christened. She 
has asked me to be the godmother. 
My aunt is a fine cat. She must have 
a very fine kitten. I should like to 
be the godmother. Will you let me 
go, dear mouse ? ” 

The mouse was pleased. She liked 
to have the cat ask to go. ‘ ‘ By all 
means go to the christening,” she 
said to the cat. “I should like to 
go, myself. Will your aunt care if 
I go with you ? ” 

“Oh, no, no, no, you must not 
go,” the cat answered. “You have 
not been invited.” 

The mouse was ashamed of her- 
self. “Just as you say,” she said 
to the cat. “ I will stay at home and 


THE CAT AND HER HOUSEKEEPER 197 

keep house. You can tell me about 
the christening.” 

The next day the cat left early. 
She went at once to the church. 
She found the hidden pot. She 
licked the top olf of the pot of 
grease. She smacked her lips. The 
grease tasted very good to the cat. 
The cat left the church. She found 
a cozy spot. It was on an old lady’s 
doorstep. Here she fell asleep. 
The cat at last awakened. The sun 
was setting. “I must be off,” she 
said. She licked her paws and her 
coat. She stretched herself. Then 
she set off toward home. 

The mouse met the cat at the 
door. “How happy you look,” she 


198 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

said. “You must have had a charm- 
ing day.” 

“To be sure,” the cat answered. 
“What did your aunt name her 
new kitten ? ” the mouse asked. 
“She named him ‘Top-Off,’” the 
cat replied. 

“Top-Off,” said the mouse. 
“What a queer name.” 

“Not any more queer than your 
family names,” the cat said. 
“ ‘Cheese Nibbler’ is a queer name.” 

“Perhaps you are right,” the 
mouse answered. 

For a few days the cat and the 
mouse lived happily together. 

Then the cat began to think of 
the pot of grease again. She tried 


THE CAT AND HER HOUSEKEEPER 199 

to forget about it. It seemed of 
no use. At last she could stand it 
no longer. 

“I am invited to another chris- 
tening,” she said to the mouse the 
next morning. 

“Another christening! Who is 
it, this time ? ” asked the mouse. 

“Another aunt has a baby kitten,” 
the cat answered. “She wants me 
to be the godmother. Will you let 
me go ? ” 

Again the mouse was pleased. 
“The cat does just as I tell her,” 
she thought. The mouse gave her 
consent. The cat was off. 

The cat went straight to the 
church. Here she found the pot of 


200 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

grease. It was just as she had left 
it. She looked around to see if any- 
one was looking. Then she ate of 
the grease until it was half gone. 
She left the church. She lay down 
on a fence near by. She rested her 
head on her forepaws. She was soon 
asleep. The cat had a long nap. 
Then she got up. She went home 
to her friend the mouse. 

“Another fine day,” she said to 
the mouse. 

“What did your aunt name this 
kitten ? ” the mouse asked. 

“Half-Gone,” the cat answered. 

“What a queer name,” the mouse 
replied. 

“Not at all queer,” said the cat. 


THE CAT AND HER HOUSEKEEPER 201 

“The cat family is a clever family. 
They like new names for their chil- 
dren.” 

The mouse did not answer. Soon 
she forgot all about it. 

Before many days the cat again 
became hungry for the pot of grease. 
She was very, very hungry, this time. 
“One should finish what is once 
begun,” she said to herself. 

She called the mouse to her. 

‘ ‘ Again I am invited to be the god- 
mother,” she said. “Another aunt 
has a kitten, this time. She says, 
‘Do not fail me. Come at once.’ 
She would not forgive me if I did 
not go. May I go to-day, friend 
mouse ? ” 


202 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“Yes,” answered the mouse. 
“You may go.” 

The cat ran to the church again. 
She gobbled up all the grease that 
was left in the pot. She even licked 
the sides of the pot. They shone 
like glass. The cat was very, very 
tired. She climbed up to the roof 
of a little shed. Here she slept until 
it was very late. The sun had set. 
The moon was shining behind the 
trees. The cat went home to her 
friend the mouse. 

“What was the kitten named?” 
the mouse asked the cat. 

“All-Out,” the cat answered. 

“Top-Olf, Half-Gone, All-Out,” 
replied the mouse. “They sound 


THE CAT AND HER HOUSEKEEPER 203 

very, very queer to me.” Then the 
mouse worked busily about the house. 
She forgot about the christenings. 

Summer and autumn went by. 
Winter came. The days were short. 
The cold winds blew. 

“Now let us get the pot of 
grease,” the mouse said. 

“It might be well,” the cat an- 
swered. 

The cat and the mouse went to 
the church together. They reached 
the pot. They found it empty. 

Then the mouse knew the meaning 
of the queer names. ‘ ‘ Top-Olf , Half- 
Gone, All-Out. Fine names, indeed, ” 
she said. “All-Eaten would have 
been a better name for the last one. ” 


204 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

“Yes,” answered the cat. “And 
Mouse-Eaten would have been still 
better.” 

With this the cat pounced upon 
the mouse, and ate her up. 

After that, the cat asked many 
mice to come and live with her. 
But she could never get another to 
be her housekeeper. 



THE THREE WISHES 


FAIRY was traveling. It 
had been a hot day. It 
was nightfall. The fairy 
was tired. He could go no farther. 
He looked about for an inn. He 
could not find one. 

A little way down the road stood 
two houses. One was a big beautiful 
house. The other was a small one. 

‘ ‘ Ah, ” said the fairy. ‘ ‘ I will stop 
at the big house. I will ask for 
shelter. The man who lives there 
must be a rich man. It will not be 
hard for him to help me.” 

The fairy knocked at the door of 
206 



206 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

the beautiful house. The rich man 
put his head out of a window. 
“What do you want?” he asked. 

“I am tired. I cannot find an 
inn,” said the fairy. “May I sleep 
in one of your rooms ? ” 

“No, indeed,” said the rich man. 
“We have barely enough room for 
ourselves. Begone.” 

The tired fairy turned away. “I 
will ask the poor man for shelter, ” 
he said. 

He knocked at the door of the 
small house. The door was opened 
at once. “Good evening,” said the 
fairy. “I am a tired traveler. I 
am looking for shelter. May I sleep 
here, to-night ? ” 


THE THREE WISHES 207 

“Yes,” said the poor man. 
“Come right in. You look very 
tired, indeed. I will ask my good 
wife to get you a supper,” 

The poor man led the way into the 
house. The stranger followed. In- 
side they found the man’s wife. She 
was a good woman. She was kind 
to the stranger. 

She quickly boiled potatoes. She 
milked the goat. She set the table 
with a clean cloth. In the middle of 
the table she placed a bunch of roses. 
On the stranger’s chair she put a 
cushion. 

The stranger was pleased. He 
hardly knew what to say. There 
were not many things to eat. But 


208 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

every one liked the supper. The 
stranger knew that the poor woman 
had done her best. 

After supper the poor man said to 
the stranger, “You may have our 
bed, to-night. We can sleep on a pile 
of straw. You are tired. Our bed 
is none too good for you.” 

The stranger did not want to take 
the bed. The poor man made him 
get into it. The stranger slept well. 
In the morning he was given a good 
breakfast. 

At last he was ready to go. He 
took the poor man by the hand. 
“ My friend,” he said, “ I am a fairy. 
You have been kind to me. It is my 
turn to do something for you. You 


THE THREE WISHES 209 

may have three wishes. I will grant 
every one of them.” 

The poor man was full of joy. 
“Three wishes ! What a fine gift,” 
he cried. “What good fortune!” 
his wife answered. “Wish for 
health and food,” she said to her 
husband. 

“That is a good wish,” said the 
poor man. “I will make it my first 
one.” 

“What do you want for your 
second wish ? ” asked the fairy. 

“I wish that we might always be 
happy together, ” said the poor man. 
The poor man looked at his wife 
when he said this. 

“Those are good wishes,” said the 


210 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

fairy, “What will you have for. 
your third wish ? ” 

The poor man could not think of 
any other wish. “Why not have a 
big house?” asked the fairy. “This 
is such a small one.” 

“That is a good idea,” replied the 
poor man. “Then we can give 
shelter to many travelers. I will 
make it my last wish,” 

“Your wishes are granted,” said 
the fairy. 

The poor old house was changed 
into a fine new one. The poor 
man and his wife walked about 
their new home. It was very beauti- 
ful. They thought they must be 
dreaming. 


THE THREE WISHES 211 

The fairy gave them his blessing. 
He left at once. 

The rich man awoke late in the 
morning. He looked out of his win- 
dow. He could not see any poor 
house. He saw a beautiful new one. 

He ran downstairs. He told his 
wife. “ See, wife,” he cried. “The 
poor looking house is not there. 
There is only a beautiful one. What 
can have happened?” 

“I will go out and see,” his wife 
answered. 

She ran across the street. She 
found the wife of the poor man. 
“Where is your old house?” she 
cried. “Last night it was here. 
Where is it this morning ? ” 


212 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

The poor man’s wife told the 
woman about the fairy. 

Back across the street ran the 
wife of the rich man. She told her 
husband what the poor man’s wife 
had said. “You should have been 
kind to the stranger,” she said to 
her husband. “Be quick now. You 
may overtake him.” 

The rich man got up on his fastest 
horse. “Get up,” he said to it. 

He rode a long way. He saw the 
fairy walking along the road. 

The rich man overtook the fairy. 
“You must be thirsty,” he said. 
“Will you have a drink of water? I 
have brought some with me.” 

The fairy saw who it was. “I 


THE THREE WISHES 213 

will take a drink of water,” he said. 
Then he drank some of it. 

The rich man spoke again. “You 
came to my door last night. Did you 
not?” he asked. 

“Yes,” said the fairy. 

“I have ridden all this way to talk 
to you,” said the rich man. “I 
wanted to tell you why I did not 
let you in. You see, I could not 
find the key to the door. That 
made me angry. Stop in when 
you come back. I will treat you 
better. ” 

The fairy said that he would do so. 

Then the rich man said to the 
fairy, “The poor man gave you 
shelter. He had three wishes. I 


214 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

think I will take my wishes now. 
Are you willing?” 

The fairy smiled a little. “You 
had better not,” he said. 

“My wife says I must,” replied the 
rich man. 

“You may have your three 
wishes,” said the fairy. 

The rich man rode back toward 
his home. Soon his horse began to 
kick up her heels. She began to 
prance about, too. It was hard for 
the rich man to keep in his saddle. 
“Be quiet, Bess,” he said to the 
horse. 

The horse would not be quiet. She 
stood up on her hind legs. She 
would not go on. 


THE THREE WISHES 215 

The rich man was angry. He for- 
got about the wishes. “You ras- 
cal,” he said to the horse. “I wish 
you would fall and break your 
neck.” 

The horse fell. She lay quite still. 
Her neck was broken. “Now I 
have done it, ” cried the rich man. 

The rich man took off the saddle. 
He threw it over his back. He 
started off toward home. He walked 
along and thought about the other 
two wishes. “What do I want 
most ? ” he asked himself. “ I am a 
fine man.' I should have the best 
things in the world. What are the 
best things ? Oh, dear, oh, dear ! 
No wish is good enough.” 


216 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 

The rich man was tired. He was 
hot, too. The sun was sending hot 
rays upon him. The rich man 
thought of his wife in her cool parlor. 
“It is easy for her,” he thought. 
“She makes me do all the hard 
work.” 

Again the rich man was angry. 
He forgot about the fairy. ‘ ‘ A lazy 
wife,” he said. “ I wish this saddle 
were off my back, and that my wife 
were sitting on it.” 

Up into the air went the saddle. 
Away it flew. 

The rich man knew then what he 
had done. “Oh, my wish. My 
wish. Why did I do it ? ” he cried. 

“Now I have only one wish left. 


THE THREE WISHES 217 

I will think about it in my own home. 
There I can do better.” 

The rich man reached his own 
home. He heard loud crying. The 
rich man entered the house. He 
found his wife sitting on the saddle. 
She was in the middle of the parlor 
floor. She was trying to get off the 
saddle. She could not. The poor 
man and his wife had heard her cries. 
They had come to help her. They 
had tried hard. They could do noth- 
ing for her. 

“ Oh, oh, see what you have done,” 
cried the wife. “You have wished 
me on this saddle. Now you must 
wish me off again.” 

There was but one thing for the 


218 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 



He found his wife sitting on the saddle. 


rich man to do. “I wish you were 
off the saddle,” he said to his wife. 

The wife at once got up from the 
saddle. The poor man and his wife 


THE THREE WISHES 219 

went back to their own home. The 
rich man went up to his room. He 
had had a hard day. He was very 
tired. 


DRILL WORDS 

The Dove and the Ant 
drown heard sorry noise ground save 

The Johnny Cake 

staid world sure wolf nearer oven 

The Lark and her Little Ones 
grain uncles cousins fear leave need 

The Wonderful Pot 
money fairy counting carry rope wash 

The Foolish Bluejay 
feathers proud foolish peacock friends might 

The Donkey and his Friends seek their 
Fortune 

scratched farther use light drive shed 

The Fox who lost his Tail 
trap stood useless bushy against around 


DRILL WORDS 221 

The Kid who would not Go 
found stick butcher wanted beat began 

The Donkey and the Horse 
horse load town donkey sick hard 

The Fairy Shoes 

quickly late pinch people wear party 
Belling the Cat 

unhappy right hardly longer danger neck 

The Hare and the Tortoise 
reached race breath slow judge pity 

The Three Pigs 

greedy visit moved dirty smacked holes 

The Lion and the Mouse 
hurt mouthful able hungry sometime tied 

The Wind and the Sun 
stronger tired strength tear boasting coat 


222 OLD STORIES FOR YOUNG READERS 
The Lad who went to the North Wind 
flour fond supper angry words threw 

The Unhappy Pine Tree 
forest awoke break built storm robins 

The Two Sisters 

strange bread golden spindle heavy pitch 

The Woodman and his Ax 
ax steel always again honest wife 

The Greedy Master 
servant pointed grazing bleated taught 

The Brave Tin Soldier 
eleven twelve soldier straight carried 

The Cat, the Weasel, and the Rabbit 
cozy lettuce belongs judge seized 

The Crow and the Pitcher 
thirsty streams brooks yard tasted 


DRILL WORDS 


223 


Tom Thumb 

gladness fresh . wagon trouble stupid 

The Maids who did not like to rise Early 
daybreak rubbed yawned clock bought 

The Wolf and the Crane 
throat stuck animals scratch ungrateful 

Silver Locks and the Three Bears 
romp bluebells oatmeal bottom voices 

The Shoemaker and the Elves 
family leather workroom window price 

The Wolf and the Dog 
moonlight sleek change collar fierce 

Little Red Riding Hood 
trimming frosting dearly wicked latch 

The Cat and her Housekeeper 
grease true church clever 

The Three Wishes 

traveling tired shelter potatoes cushion 


Printed in the United States of America. 





following pages contain advertisements of a 
few of the Macmillan books on kindred subjects. 


I 


\ 


EVERYCHILD’S SERIES 


The Everychild Series is a growing library of supple- 
mentary reading. The purpose of this series is to broaden 
the child’s growing interest in geography, history, nature 
study, biography, and the like, and to encourage him to seek 
for himself entertainment and information in the broader 
field of life and literature. The scope of the series covers 
plays, games, fairy tales, fables, myths, folklore, nature 
study, geography, useful arts, industries, biography, history, 
government, public service, fine arts, and literature. From 
this library the child may read about the exploits of Old 
World heroes and conquerors, about the thrilling adven- 
tures of early explorers and discoverers, and about the 
brave deeds of American pioneers and patriots. Real and 
fanciful stories of nature and of animal life, myths and 
legends of ancient Greece, ballads and folklore of the 
Middle Ages, and tales of our grandmother’s day appeal to 
the child’s imagination and lay a foundation for further 
study and reading. The content of each book is carefully 
graded to correspond to the different stages of the child’s 
development. The simple, vigorous style of each book 
shows that sympathetic understanding of the child’s mind 
which characterizes the most charming writers of stories 
for children. This series seeks to instruct the child with 
simplicity and wholesomeness, to heighten his finer appre- 
ciation, and to give him, along with keen enjoyment, the 
things of life that are interesting and valuable. 


THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

64-66 Fifth Avenue, New York City 
ATLANTA BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS SAN FRANCISCO 



E\ 

Each 

/ERYCHiiD’S Series 

Cloth Illustrated i6mo 40 cents 

ALSHOUSE: 

Heroes of the Nation. For Intermediate and Grammar 
Grades. 

Tales of the heroes of many lands. 

ANDERSON 

Stories of the Golden Age. For Intermediate Grades. 
Legends of the Age of Pericles. 

BEMISTER: 

Indian Legends. For Intermediate Grades. 

The life and the traits of character of the American 
Indian. 

BENDER: 

Great Opera Stories. For Intermediate Grades. 

Famous operas told in a simple charming way. 

BIRD and 
STARLING : 

Historical Plays for Children. For Intermediate Grades. 
Dramatized stories of historical characters. 

CALHOUN: 

Book of Brave Adventures. For Intermediate Grades. 

The brave adventures of heroes of many lands. 

CALHOUN: 

When Great Folks Were Little Folks. For Grammar 
Grades. 

Plain little boys and girls who grew up and accom- 
plished great things. 

DICKSON: 

Pioneers and Patriots in American History. For 
Intermediate Grades 

Our forefathers in the days of the Revolution. 

DICKSON: 

Camp and Ti^il in Early American History. For 
Intermediate Grades. 

The early discoverers and explorers of our country. 

DUNN: 

What Shall We Play? For Primary and Intermediate 
Grades. 

Dramatizations of a variety of well-known children stories. 

FARMER: 

Boy and Girl Heroes. For Intermediate Grades. 

Interesting incidents in the childhood of well-known 
heroes. 

GARDNER: 

Nature Stories. For Primary Grades. 

The beauty and usefulness of insects, animals, and 
flowers told in a way that appeals to the imagination 
of a child. 

THE 

MACMILLAN COMPANY 

64-66 Fifth Avenue, New York City 

ATLANTA 

BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS SAN FRANCISCO 



EVERYCHILD’S SERIES — Continued 


HALLOCK: 

In Those Days. For Intermediate Grades. 

Really true stories of Grandmother’s Day. 

HOPKINS: 

The Knight of the Lion. For Intermediate Grades. 

A delightful story which preserves the quaint style of the 
original French. 

LARGE: 

A Visit to the Farm. For Intermediate Grades. 

The adventures of a city boy who visits his country 
cousin. 

LARGE: 

Old Stories for Young Readers. For Primary Grades. 

A collection of stories which all children ought to read. 

OS WELL: 

Old Time Tales. For Primary Grades, 

Ballads and folktales that children of the Old World 
have heard for hundreds of years. 

OS WELL: 

A Fairy Book. For Primary Grades. 

A collection of good stories of fairies and other little earth 
people. 

OSWELL: 

Stories Grandmother Told. For Primary Grades. 

Old fairy stories interestingly told. 

REYNOLDS: 

How Man Conquered Nature. For Intermediate Grades. 
Stories that will give vitality to the study of history and 
geography. 

STOCKTON : 

Stories of the Spanish Main. For Grammar Grades. 

A collection of stirring adventures on land and sea, por- 
traying scenes of historical and literary value. 


UNDERWOOD: Heroes of Conquest and Empire. For Intermediate and 


WARNER: 

Grammar Grades. 

Old stories of famous conquerors told with freshness and 
vigor. 

Nonsense Dialogues. For Primary Grades. 

Mother Goose in dramatic form. 

WERTHNER: 

How Man Makes Markets. For Grammar Grades. 

The story of commerce. 

YOUNG: 

When We Were Wee. For Intermediate Grades. 

A vivid picture of child life in war times. 

THE 

MACMILLAN COMPANY 


64-66 Fifth Avenue, New York City 

ATLANTA BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS SAN FRANCISCO 



The American School Readers 

By KATHERINE OSWELL and C. B. GILBERT 

American School Primer S .30 

American School First Reader .30 

American School Second Reader 35 

American School Third Reader 40 

American School Fourth Reader 45 

American School Fifth Reader 50 

American School Literary Reader 70 


The Golden Rule Series 

By E. HERSHEY SNEATH, GEORGE HODGES, and 
EDWARD LAWRENCE STEVENS 

I. The Golden Ladder Book, Third Grade $ .40 

II. The Golden Path Book, Fourth Grade 45 

III. The Golden Door Book, Fifth Grade 50 

IV. The Golden Key Book, Sixth Grade 55 

V. The Golden Word Book, Seventh Grade 55 

VI. The Golden Deed Book, Eighth Grade 55 


Language Reader Series 

By franklin T. BAKER and GEORGE R. 
CARPENTER 

Baker and Carpenter Primer $ .30 

First Language Reader 25 

Second Language Reader , . . . .30 

Third Language Reader 40 

Fourth Language Reader 40 

Fifth Language Reader 45 

Sixth Language Reader 50 


THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 

64-66 Fifth Avenue, New York City 
ATLANTA BOSTON CHICAGO DALLAS SAN FRANCISCO 








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